Pappa al pomodoro
Tuscany's tomato and bread soup: ripe tomatoes, garlic and basil cooked with stale unsalted bread until thick, finished with raw olive oil.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Rest
- 30 min
- Total
- 1 hr 15 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Pappa al pomodoro is ripe tomatoes and stale Tuscan bread cooked together until they become a thick, spoonable soup. 'Pappa' means mush, and that is the texture to aim for. Start with garlic warmed gently in plenty of olive oil, then add the tomatoes: very ripe fresh ones in summer, good tinned peeled tomatoes the rest of the year. Add torn, day-old unsalted Tuscan bread and enough hot broth to cover, and simmer, stirring and pressing, until the bread collapses into the tomato. Basil goes in at the end, and new green olive oil is poured over each bowl. Let it rest before serving; it is eaten warm or at room temperature, rarely piping hot, especially in summer. Done is a deep red, porridge-thick soup, sweet and peppery, smelling of basil and good oil.
What you'll need
8 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Stale bread, Tuscan unsalted, a day or two old, most crust removed, torn300 g
- Plum tomatoes, very ripe, peeled and chopped, or tinned peeled800 g
- Garlic, thinly sliced3 clove
- Basil, leaves1 bunch
- Olive oil, extra virgin, plus more to finish89 ml
- Vegetable stock, light, hot750 ml
- Black pepper2½ ml
- Salt4.9 ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Warm the oil and garlic over low heat until fragrant but not coloured. Add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt and simmer 15 minutes.
17 min
Step 2
Add the bread and enough hot broth to cover. Simmer 15–20 minutes, stirring and pressing with a wooden spoon or whisk until the bread breaks down and the soup is thick.
18 min
Step 3
Off the heat stir in the torn basil and pepper. Cover and rest 30 minutes, then serve warm with a thread of raw olive oil on each bowl.
2 min
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 497 kcal
- Protein
- 11.6 g
- Carbs
- 68 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Saturated fat
- 2.9 g
- Fibre
- 4.6 g
- Sugar
- 6.4 g
- Sodium
- 1210 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Wheat
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- Dairy-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 10 November.
Substitutions
Tuscan unsalted bread → A plain sourdough or country loaf
Use less salt in the soup to make up for the bread's.
Tips
- Unsalted bread matters: salted bread makes the soup salty and goes gluey.
- Make it in the morning for the evening; it is better after a few hours.
History & culture
Florence and Siena both claim it, and every Tuscan family has its version. It is summer food above all, eaten tepid on hot evenings. Italians of a certain age know it from 'Viva la pappa col pomodoro', which Rita Pavone sang in the mid-1960s television serial of Gian Burrasca.
Like ribollita and panzanella, pappa al pomodoro comes from Tuscany's refusal to waste bread, which is baked without salt and turns hard in a day or two. The dish took its modern form once tomatoes were common in Tuscan kitchens in the nineteenth century, and the 1960s television adaptation of Vamba's children's novel 'Il giornalino di Gian Burrasca' made it famous across Italy.
Traditional — Stale unsalted Tuscan bread, tomatoes, garlic, basil, broth and extra virgin olive oil.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Pappa al pomodoro take?
1 hr 15 min all in — 10 min prep, 35 min cook, 30 min rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 4 bowls. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Wheat. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegan, Vegetarian, Dairy-free.
6 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Dutch oven.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1 tsp.
What can I use instead?
Tuscan unsalted bread → A plain sourdough or country loaf. Use less salt in the soup to make up for the bread's.
Any tips from this recipe?
Unsalted bread matters: salted bread makes the soup salty and goes gluey. Make it in the morning for the evening; it is better after a few hours.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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