Pappa al Pomodoro

Ingredients · 4 servings

• 1200 gTomato, ripe and chopped
• 240 gBread, stale and torn
• 12 gGarlic, sliced
• 12 gBasil, leaves picked (to serve)
• 60 gExtra virgin olive oil
• 6 gSalt
• 1 gBlack pepper, freshly ground
• 500 mlWater

Equipment

stovetop, large pot, knife, cutting board, wooden spoon, ladle, bowl, serving bowl

Instructions

1. 1
   Prepare the station

   Gather and weigh tomatoes, bread, garlic, basil, oil, water, salt, and pepper, then set out a pot, knife, board, spoon, and ladle. · 5 min

   What to look for: All ingredients are measured and tools are within reach.

2. 2
   Cut and tear

   Chop the tomatoes, tear the stale bread into rough pieces, slice the garlic, and pick the basil leaves, keeping a few leaves for serving. · 10 min

   What to look for: Tomatoes are juicy, bread is unevenly torn, and basil leaves are whole.

3. 3
   Soften the garlic

   Heat 40 g of the oil in the pot over medium heat, add the garlic, and cook gently until fragrant but not browned. · 4 min

   What to look for: Garlic looks pale gold at the edges and smells sweet.

4. 4
   Simmer the tomato

   Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper, then simmer until the tomatoes collapse and release a loose, bright red sauce. · 15 min

   What to look for: Tomatoes have softened into a juicy sauce with small pieces of skin and pulp.

5. 5
   Add bread

   Pour in the water, bring it to a gentle simmer, then add the bread and press it under the tomato liquid. · 4 min

   What to look for: Bread is fully moistened and begins to sink into the tomato base.

6. 6
   Thicken the soup

   Simmer gently, stirring often, until the bread breaks down and the soup becomes thick, soft, and spoonable. · 18 min

   What to look for: The soup looks creamy without being smooth and the bread has mostly dissolved.

7. 7
   Rest with basil

   Stir in the basil and 10 g of the remaining oil, taste for salt, then rest the soup off the heat so the bread fully swells. · 5 min

   What to look for: Basil wilts into the soup and the surface looks glossy.

8. 8
   Serve warm

   Serve warm in bowls with the reserved basil leaves and the final 10 g of oil spooned over the top. · 2 min

   What to look for: Each bowl is thick, glossy, and finished with fresh basil.