Pappa al Pomodoro
I did it! I successfully recreated one of my favorite dishes from our recent visit to Florence. Admittedly, it was one of the easier recipes to replicate, if not the easiest, but sitting down to a piping hot bowl of Pappa al Pomodoro transported me back, nonetheless. Actually, before we get to the recipe let’s talk about food temperature. Has anyone else notice that restaurants in Italy serve their food exceptionally hot? And did anyone else enjoy it as much as me? Is that a thing? Or just a weird coincidence? Please address in the comments if you have any opinion or information on this, I am genuinely curious.
Now onto Tuscan Pappa al Pomodoro or Tomato and Bread Soup. As I mentioned, this dish is very straightforward, after all it was initially developed as a way to use stale bread. Therefore, I looked for recipes that honored that simplicity (sorry Ina, no fennel) while also replicating the extraordinarily thick texture of the version that I enjoyed at Trattoria 4 Leoni. This recipe from Serious Eats achieves both of these humble goals while also explaining the science, something I always appreciate. The major point Serious Eats clarified was the use of stale bread. If you have a loaf of rustic Italian bread languishing in your bread box, by all means, use it in this dish. But if you are headed to the supermarket with this recipe in mind, no need pick up a loaf and wait a week. The use of fresh bread is not only fine but makes for a faster preparation as in this scenario, the ingredients meld together more quickly.
On to the recipe. The only adaptation I made was that I prepared four cups of stock (instead of two) and used three cups. I noticed that while the soup was simmering it was becoming dry and sticking to the bottom of the pot. Yes, this soup is incredibly thick but it is custardy, not dry. There is a difference and it is an important one. So as I instruct in the recipe below, start with two cups of liquid which is added in a manner similar to risotto, by the ladleful waiting for the first batch to be incorporated before adding the next. And if you need to add more liquid during the cooking time, slowly introduce up to two additional cups.
We enjoyed the Pappa al Pomodoro with a sharply dressed arugula salad and glass of Chianti. It was the perfect Sunday supper. I hope that you find it to hit the spot any night this week. Enjoy!
Pappa al Pomodoro
Ingredients
- 2 Tbls extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/2 medium onion, minced about 1/2 cup
- 1 28-oz can San Marzano whole tomatoes crushed by hand with juices
- 2 sprigs fresh basil plus torn leaves for serving
- 6 oz fresh or stale rustic bread, torn or cut into 1-inch chunks
- 4 cups warm vegetable or chicken broth you may only use 2 cups
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, heat 2 Tbls olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add red pepper flakes and garlic and cook, stirring, until garlic just begins to turn golden. Add onion and cook, stirring, just until softened, about 5 minutes. Add hand-crushed tomatoes and their juices, along with basil sprigs, and bring to a simmer.
- Stir in bread. Ladle stock on top, one cup at a time, stirring to combine–initially adding two cups of stock. Simmer bread, adding more stock as needed (I added three cups total), until bread is completely softened and custardy and soup has thickened to a porridge-like consistency, about 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Discard basil sprigs.
- Spoon into bowls, generously drizzle with olive oil, and grind black pepper on top. Garnish with torn basil leaves and serve.
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March 24, 2025 @ 9:21 am
Oh yeah!👍🏻