PAPPA AL POMODORO RECIPE
The PAPPA AL POMODORO is a typical Tuscan recipe of peasant tradition, the classic recovery recipe.
Its ingredients are few and simple: tomato, Tuscan bread, and broth (or water) which, when skillfully mixed, give life to a dish with a unique flavor.
Like all traditional recipes, the Pappa al Pomodoro has various versions, and it can be said that almost every family has its own: some cook the sauce first and then add the bread, while others cook the bread in the sauce from the beginning.
Whichever way you decide to proceed, you will serve a delicate yet decisive first course, perfect for a family lunch or dinner, for which everyone will lick their lips and ask for seconds.
Preparing the Pappa al Pomodoro Recipe is really simple and does not require special cooking skills. Simply sauté the garlic in a bit of oil, add the tomato puree (or peeled tomatoes), let them flavor, and while the sauce cooks, prepare the bread into chunks. Once the sauce is ready, the bread should be completely immersed in the sauce, a bit of hot broth added, and let it cook a little longer to reach the right consistency.
You will feel how dense and creamy it will be, thanks to the addition of bread and the long slow cooking, a traditional simple and genuine first course, in which the flavors and aromas of the Tuscan land are best expressed.
You can enjoy it hot, warm, or even at room temperature and customize it with herbs according to your taste or make it spicy with fresh chili.
And now let’s prepare the Pappa al Pomodoro together, a dish suitable for everyone from the youngest to the oldest, which immediately makes you feel at home.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 302.85 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 51.81 (g) of which sugars 2.93 (g)
- Proteins 8.71 (g)
- Fat 7.61 (g) of which saturated 0.82 (g)of which unsaturated 0.41 (g)
- Fibers 4.87 (g)
- Sodium 775.83 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 200 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 24.7 oz tomato pulp (or puree or fresh tomatoes)
- 10.6 oz Tuscan bread (or rustic)
- 1 clove garlic
- 3.2 cups vegetable broth (or water)
- A few leaves basil
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- fine salt
- 1 pinch black pepper (optional)
Tools
- Bowl
- Pot
Steps to prepare traditional pappa al pomodoro
Before preparing the Pappa al Pomodoro recipe, I recommend having some hot Vegetable Broth ready, which you can prepare at home or, if you don’t have time, buy ready-made at the supermarket. Alternatively, hot water will do.
First, peel the garlic and slice it (if you want to make the taste less strong, remove the central green stem). Heat the oil in a pot, add the garlic, and let it flavor for a minute, then add the tomato pulp and a pinch of salt. Cook over low heat with the lid on for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, while the tomato is flavoring, slice the bread, then cut it into cubes and put it in a bowl. Moisten it with hot vegetable broth and mix. When the sauce is ready, turn off the heat and add the bread to the pot. Stir and immerse the slices of bread trying to sink them well inside the pot (the broth/water dose can change depending on the type of bread). Cover with the lid and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
After the time has passed, the bread should be well soaked and absorbed in the sauce. Mix well, put it back on the heat, and continue over low flame for another 5 minutes or until reaching the desired consistency. If needed, you can add a bit of broth/water. The bread should be completely dissolved to create a mush. Remove from heat, adjust salt, drizzle with raw oil, and a few basil leaves before serving.
STORAGE
The Pappa al Pomodoro can be served hot, warm, or even cold. If there’s any left, it keeps in the fridge closed in an airtight container for a maximum of 1 day. Before enjoying it again, I recommend adding a bit of water or broth to revive it. This preparation is not suitable for freezing. Reuse of Leftovers: Leftover pappa al pomodoro can be used as a base for other recipes, such as pasta sauces or soups. It can also be transformed into a drier version and served as a side dish.
MISTAKES TO AVOID AND TIPS FOR MAKING PERFECT PAPPA AL POMODORO
DON’T CHOOSE THE WRONG BREAD. The bread must be strictly Tuscan and stale. Baguettes, salty bread, and other types of bread are forbidden.
SOAK THE BREAD IN BROTH SEPARATELY. The bread should be a little stale and not too dry, and it is important to soften it in the broth and then put it in the tomato sauce.
NO TO TOMATO PASTE Tomato paste, often known in Tuscany as a tube of preserve, is absolutely to be avoided. Use tomato puree, peeled tomatoes, or rather fresh tomatoes.
NO TO HERBS. Often you find recipes that include sage in cooking and an addition of thyme or rosemary to garnish at the end: forget that you ever read it. Only basil is needed in pappa al pomodoro.
YES TO GARLIC NO TO LEEKS OR SHALLOTS Remember: only use garlic, usually one clove per person. Onion is not used, although on the Florentine side, some people use it. A very wrong thing is sautéing: no celery and carrot, let alone leeks and shallots.
IF YOU USE FRESH TOMATOES, CHOOSE THE RIGHT ONES Do not use fresh tomatoes if they are not in peak season, they would have no taste and ruin the Pappa al Pomodoro. The best fresh tomatoes to use are Florentine or bombolini, which in country houses hung by the fireplace and must be quite ripe.
NO MEAT BROTH YES TO VEGETABLE BROTH Do not use any broth. For pappa al pomodoro, the broth must be vegetable and not meat. At most, you can enhance the pappa with hot water, but never with meat broth.
BASIL YES BUT DO NOT COOK IT Never let basil cook from the start: basil is added at the end to flavor, it is wrong to add it while it cooks, and it should be torn with hands because otherwise, it becomes bitter. At most, you can sauté the basil stems with garlic and then remove them before adding the tomatoes.
OLIVE OIL We are talking about a regional dish, so to finish, you need a drizzle of strictly Tuscan extra virgin olive oil.
Variations and additions to the traditional recipe
TOMATO: To prepare the Pappa al Pomodoro recipe, I used tomato pulp, but peeled tomatoes or tomato puree are also fine. If you’re in the right season, go for fresh tomatoes: all tomato sauce varieties will do, the important thing is that they are very ripe and can be easily peeled.
GARLIC: If you don’t particularly like the taste of garlic, you can leave it whole in the skin and remove it later before adding the bread.
WATER or BROTH: The amount of water or broth to add to the Pappa al Pomodoro may vary depending on the type of bread used. In today’s recipe, I used 3.2 cups. Alternatively, for a more flavorful taste, you can use vegetable broth instead of water.
BREAD: In the Pappa al Pomodoro recipe, although it was born as a recycling recipe, you can use either stale or fresh bread. Depending on the choice, the absorption capacity of the sauce and the time taken will change, but the final taste will be the same. Obviously, the right choice would be Tuscan bread without salt, perfect for this recipe because it lets the tomato taste stand out without covering it. If you can’t find it in your area, you can replace it with a low-salt, compact bread with a thick crust. Pappa al pomodoro can also be made with packaged sliced bread and for a version suitable for everyone with gluten-free bread.
VARIATIONS: To make Pappa al Pomodoro even tastier, you can add Burrata or Buffalo Mozzarella before serving, at the end of cooking.
Tips for serving and pairing pappa al pomodoro
If you wish, you can serve pappa al pomodoro with a sprinkle of grated pecorino or parmesan, you can enrich it during cooking with carrots, celery, or zucchini, or you can spice it up with a pinch of chili powder.
In pairing with pappa al pomodoro, a young white wine or a rosé, both fresh, light, and aromatic, goes very well. I recommend a Pinot Bianco from Friuli, for example, or a Ribolla Gialla, equally aromatic.
The nutritional benefits of pappa al pomodoro
Pappa al Pomodoro is a first course with very low energy intake, a balanced recipe that provides fiber, protein, and vitamin C. Calories are mainly provided by carbohydrates, followed by lipids and lastly proteins. Fibers are well present, and cholesterol is absent. The fatty acids tend to be monounsaturated, complex carbohydrates, and medium biological value proteins.
Pappa al Pomodoro is a food that fits most dietary regimes and is suitable for both vegetarian and vegan diets. It should be excluded from the diet against celiac disease but shows no contraindications for lactose intolerant individuals.
The average portion of Pappa al Pomodoro is about 300-500g (165-275kcal).
Origins and history of pappa al pomodoro
Like many other traditional recipes, it is difficult to trace the exact origin of pappa al pomodoro. While on one hand, we already have the first testimony of the preparation in 1907 in a book called “Il giornalino di Gian Burrasca”, on the other hand, it is very plausible that pappa al pomodoro has much older origins, although it may not have yet gained enough success to “earn” a mention in cookbooks.
Even if we cannot be certain of its origin, it is realistic to claim that the first pappa al pomodoro was made by peasants more than 200 years ago. The frugal, authentic, and genuine nature of the recipe has contributed to its survival over time, bringing it not only into contemporary gastronomy but also making it applicable to haute cuisine.
Events and festivals dedicated to pappa al pomodoro in Tuscany
In Tuscany, pappa al pomodoro is celebrated in various fairs and gastronomic festivals. The Pappa al Pomodoro Festival: Held every year in different Tuscan locations, this festival attracts thousands of visitors eager to taste different versions of the dish, participate in culinary contests, and enjoy shows and entertainment. Additionally, during the summer, many cities and towns organize food and wine events where pappa al pomodoro is often a protagonist, offering tastings and live cooking demonstrations.
Curiosities about Pappa al Pomodoro
The song “Viva la pappa col pomodoro,” sung by Rita Pavone, made the dish famous internationally in the ’60s.
