This is another dish from Tuscany’s “poor cuisine”. Pappa con il pomodoro is one of those recipes that given its simplicity requires the best possible ingredients, and always in season. When the summer comes and tomatoes are in season, it will reach its highest standards. Some versions include alternatives (such as the use of other herbs on top of basil) but in this case we refer to the more traditional version. In Italian, pappa is often used for children’s food, that is to say food in the form of a mush.

Ingredients

800 gr ripe tomatoes
extra virgin olive oil from Tuscany
4 garlic cloves
a bunch of basil
stale unsalted bread (Tuscan bread would be best)
salt and pepper

Blanch the tomatoes and remove their peel. Remove the seeds too and process half of them. In a casserole tin, sear the garlic with the extra virgin olive oil and add the bread broken into pieces. Once these ingredients are golden, add the tomatoes (both the processed and the peeled ones), season with salt and pepper and continue to cook for 5 more minutes. Add some water and continue to cook stirring frequently so as to obtain a very compact mush.  Finally add a few basil leaves broken with your hands.

Pappa al pomodoro can be served both hot or cold, adding a drop of extra virgin olive oil at the end, some freshly ground pepper and, for cheese lovers, some grated cheese.

Wine pairings

Pappa al pomodoro is a simple dish that can be paired with white wines such as Vermentino, Bianco di Pitigliano and Viognier too. Here are our recommendations.