Recipes of the tradition: Pappa al Pomodoro

It is cooked with beans, cabbage, onions and finally with tomatoes: the Tuscans' love for stale bread is unparalleled. Nothing has ever been wasted in Tuscan kitchens, and when there was some left-over bread, it was reused in all possible ways.

The most famous recipes of the Tuscan tradition that involve the use of bread - strictly a few days old brad- are certainly Ribollita, Panzanella and, last but not least, Pappa al Pomodoro.

 

Tomatoes, imported from America in the mid-sixteenth century by Hernan Cortes, appeared in European kitchens only in the mid-eighteenth century, and it is in this period that the Tuscan Pappa al Pomodoro was born.

To reuse stale bread, someone tried and flavor it with peeled tomatoes and create a “pappa”, or porridge, to eat with a spoon. A very simple dish but far from being devoid of flavor. On the contrary!

In 1965 Rita Pavone sang her praises for it in the song Viva la pappa col pomodoro, the soundtrack of the tv show inspired by the 1912 book by Luigi Bertelli, know as Vamba, entitled Il Giornalino di Gian Burrasca. It's a scene form this very book that gave fame to this poor dish of Tuscan cuisine, which sees the protagonist, a rebellious collegiate, requesting a portion of pappa al pomodoro.

Try the recipe and let us know if it is not really a "capolavoro" ( a masterpiece), as Rita Pavone used to sing!

PAPPA AL POMODORO RECIPE

Ingredients:

250 gr of homemade bread (no sliced ​​sandwich bread!)

400 gr of peeled tomatoes

2 cloves of garlic

1 liter of vegetable broth

Basil

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

 

Preparation:

Cut the garlic cloves in half and brown them in a pot with 6 tablespoons of oil. Then add the peeled tomatoes which must be reduced into small pieces. Add a generous handful of fresh basil leaves, and finally salt and pepper to taste.

Let it cook for about 20 minutes and in the meantime cut the bread into thin slices and then into pieces, while on the side boiling the vegetable broth. It can also be from concentrated broth (dado).

 

Now add the broth and when it starts to boil, add the bread and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring often. Turn off the heat and let it rest for an hour.

 

At this point, stir well or help yourself with a whisk to make sure that all the pieces of bread are mushed. Briefly heat the Pappa al Pomodoro and serve it at room temperature with a drizzle of oil.

 

Buon appetito!