Nina:
Love using old bread to create something new and so satisfyingly tasty. An amazingly effective way to use that old bread in a most delicious way.
The Pappa al Pomodoro is a traditional Tuscan dish that demonstrates the ingenuity and creativity of Tuscan cuisine.
The stale bread is used in a fresh and rich tomato soup, which has comforted generations of Tuscan people, from the youngest to the oldest.
Although traditionally prepared during the winter months, this dish can be enjoyed at any time of the year. By using fresh tomatoes instead of canned ones and serving it at room temperature, you can enjoy a simple but delicious dish in the summer.
The presence of tomatoes makes it difficult to use excessively acidic and savory white wines or sparkling wines because the acidity of the dish is already well represented. If you want whites that have a certain roundness and softness, try some Pinot Bianco from the Alto Adige. If you want to stay in Tuscany, look for the "selezione" of Vernaccia di San Gimignano with intriguing complexity. As you go down the boot, try the great wines of Umbria, well represented by Grechetto with its notes of aromatic herbs that harmonize with the basil.
The amount of calories in Pappa al Pomodoro varies depending on the recipe and the portions used. In general, a medium portion of Pappa al Pomodoro prepared with cherry tomatoes, stale bread, onion, garlic, olive oil, and basil can contain about 200-300 calories.
Try it with...
Filippo Bartolotta
Step
1
Of 2
Working with fresh tomatoes, make a small X in both sides of each tomato. Bring medium-size pot of water to boil, and add marked tomatoes into pot.
Allow to cook for no longer than 1 minute - be sure tomatoes are not cooking, you just need to soften the skin. Remove promptly from water, and allow to cool in a bowl of cold or ice water.
When tomatoes have cooled enough to handle, remove peel, cut in half and using small spoon, remove inner seeds (as many as possible). Coarsely chop, set aside.
In heavy-bottomed soup pot, coat bottom of pot with generous amount of extra-virgin olive oil, add garlic and half of basil leaves. Allow to cook gently, and when garlic is lightly golden brown and aromatic, add diced fresh tomatoes. Adjust to taste with salt and add 1 cup water.
Cover soup pot, turn heat as low as possible, and allow to cook at least one hour.
Step
2
Of 2
Remove soup pot from heat (mixture should be still fairly liquid at this point). Break up pieces of bread into fairly small pieces, and add to tomato mixture. Stir in olive oil, and the rest of the fresh basil. Allow to rest a few minutes.
From time to time, stir mixture with a whisk to combine ingredients, and break up the bread.
Place servings into individual serving bowls, and garnish with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a fresh basil leaf placed in the center.
A note about bread: we recommend using a stale, rustic-style or country-style bread. You don't need it to be totally dry, but if that's all you have handy, feel free to use that as well. If it's too hard to break up into pieces, try putting it into a plastic bag and compressing slightly with a heavy rolling pin.
Try it with...
Filippo Bartolotta
A highly drinkable Tuscan IGT wine, fruity and polished on the palate. Versatile and easy to match.
View productFull and strong flavor with an unmistakable taste
View productOne of the winery’s most well-established wines produced with 100% Sangiovese grapes, cultivated exclusively on the Sant’Alfonso estate
View productThe Brunello di Montalcino "Lupi e Sirene" from Podere Le Ripi is a great Tuscan red wine made from Sangiovese grapes that matures for 36 months in oak barrels.
View productA highly drinkable Tuscan IGT wine, fruity and polished on the palate. Versatile and easy to match.
View productFull and strong flavor with an unmistakable taste
View productOne of the winery’s most well-established wines produced with 100% Sangiovese grapes, cultivated exclusively on the Sant’Alfonso estate
View productThe Brunello di Montalcino "Lupi e Sirene" from Podere Le Ripi is a great Tuscan red wine made from Sangiovese grapes that matures for 36 months in oak barrels.
View productNina Monday 13th of April 2020
True Tuscan classic
Love using old bread to create something new and so satisfyingly tasty. An amazingly effective way to use that old bread in a most delicious way.