🍅 Pappa al pomodoro
Pappa al pomodoro is a thick Tuscan soup of ripe tomatoes and stale bread, simmered with garlic and olive oil and finished with fresh basil. The bread breaks down into a soft, porridge-like texture that is comforting and full of tomato flavour. It is served warm or at room temperature, with a drizzle of olive oil on top.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 250 g stale rustic bread, torn into pieces
- 800 g ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or canned)
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 700 ml water or vegetable stock
- 1 bunch basil
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Gently fry the garlic in 2 tbsp oil without letting it brown.
- Add the tomatoes, season and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add the water and the bread and cook for 10–15 minutes, stirring, until the bread falls apart.
- Stir in torn basil, take off the heat and rest for 10 minutes.
- Serve with the remaining oil drizzled on top.
How to make it lighter
- Measure the finishing oil — 1 tbsp oil ≈ 120 kcal.
- Use less bread and more tomato for a looser, lighter soup.
- Serve with a protein-rich side such as grilled chicken or beans to make it a full meal.
History
Like panzanella, pappa al pomodoro comes from the Tuscan tradition of cooking with leftover unsalted bread. It became famous across Italy through the children's novel Il giornalino di Gian Burrasca and a 1960s song from its television adaptation.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →