Pappa al Pomodoro

5 from 2 votes

Pappa al Pomodoro is one of my favorite Tuscan dishes, made with ripe tomatoes, stale bread, extra virgin olive oil, and fresh basil leaves.

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: soup

Servings: servings

Calories: 62kcal

Author: Lora

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
2 medium garlic cloves finely chopped
1 28- ounce can crushed tomatoes with juice
6 ounces rustic bread day-old or fresh crust removed and torn into 1-inch pieces
2 sprigs fresh basil plus torn leaves for serving
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or more to taste

Heat oil: In a large saute' pan or medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high until it's shimmering.
Add some garlic: Add garlic and cook until fragrant (no more than a minute, or it will brown).
Tomatoes: Add in the tomatoes and the juice (if using plum tomatoes, I break up the tomatoes with my clean hands, removing the hard ends before adding to the sauce).
Bring to a boil: Bring the tomatoes to a boil and use a wooden spoon to stir, if using plum tomatoes, breaking up the tomatoes while they’re cooking. I used my own canned diced tomatoes, and they broke up a lot while cooking.
Lower heat: Season with the salt and freshly ground pepper, and let the sauce cook and thicken for 20 minutes.
Add bread: Stir in the bread pieces and let simmer with the tomatoes until it's soft and has a custard like texture. Check the consistency of sauce: If it’s getting too thick, add a little bit of vegetable broth or water (start with a ¼ cup).
Add fresh basil: Finally, stir in the fresh basil and stir to combine.
Serve: Serve immediately, garnished with extra basil and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

Skillet or pot: I used a large skillet, but you could also make this in a medium sized soup pot.
Tomatoes: I used my own canned tomatoes, but you could use crushed or plum.
Bread: It is fine to use stale, dried, or fresh bread. IF you use fresh bread, I recommend a very good quality artisan bread. A good artisan bread will not fall apart, but will get the right consistency as it combines with the tomatoes.
Broth: If the soup gets too thick, you could add broth (vegetable or chicken, just make sure it's low sodium). Or even add a bit of water.
Serve: Pappa al pomordoro can be served warm or even chilled. I like it at room temperature.