We often joke that good bread dipped in homemade tomato sauce is one of the best Italian dishes anyone can hope to eat. Unsurprisingly, Tuscany has a recipe that takes full advantage of this magical combo. It's often described as a "bread soup" and it's maybe the best thing in the world. Try it and let us know if you agree.
Watch the Pasta Grammar video where we make this recipe here:
Serves 2-3.
For this recipe, you will need:
2-3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 peeled garlic clove
3 cups (710ml) tomato sauce (we recommend having a little more on hand to be safe)
Fresh basil
1/2 lb. (250g) fresh homemade bread, cut into large chunks
Vegetable broth
Salt
Add the olive oil and garlic into a large skillet over medium heat. When the garlic starts to sizzle, add about 2 cups of tomato sauce and some fresh basil leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer.
As the tomato sauce heats up, place the bread chunks into a bowl and pour a little bit of vegetable broth over them—just enough to lightly saturate the bread. Use a wooden spoon to mash it up and get the bread evenly wet.
Stir the bread chunks into the tomato sauce. As the pappa al pomodoro cooks, break up the bread with a wooden spoon. In the end, the dish should resemble a thick porridge. You can adjust the thickness by adding more tomato sauce, if necessary.
When you have achieved the desired consistency, check the salt and add more to taste.
Allow the dish to cool completely before drizzling with olive oil and serving. Buon appetito!