Papa al Pomodoro

Agriturismo IL GREPPO

Our Autumn 2010 trip to Italy was incredible. We spent two wonderful weeks in Rome, Venice, Florence and Tuscany. One of our favorite Tuscan experiences was a wine tasting at the Il Greppo winery.

 (We thought it was the Garden of Eden.)

The wine, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Il Greppo, was incredible, and the food was out of this world delicious.  The  first course, soup, was Papa e Pomodoro, Tomato and Bread Soup, a dish that I often serve my own family and guests.

True Italian cooking is simplicity at its essence. The ingredients for this dish are indeed simple: tomatoes, bread, chicken stock, olive oil, garlic, basil,  salt and pepper.

INGREDIENTS

 4 lbs. peeled and seeded plum tomatoes or 3-28oz cans

1/4 cup olive oil, plus a bit more to drizzle 

4 cloves garlic, chopped and mashed

3 or 4 slices Tuscan style bread

2 cups chicken stock

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons fresh basil leaf chiffonade

Peel and seed 4 pounds of plum tomatoes, OR use 3-28ounce cans IMPORTED Italian Plum Tomatoes (whole, peeled). You will want to remove any basil that is packed with the canned tomatoes, remove any hard stems, and remove most of the seeds by cutting the tomatoes in half and squeezing out the seeds. You can then crush them by hand and they are ready for use. These imported tomatoes are really good, there is a difference. There are lots of brands out there, try to get a brand that comes from the San Marzano valley, in Campania, where my Grandpa Tony was born...  

Anyway, start by heating the garlic in the oil in a stock pot over medium heat. When the garlic is fragrant and lightly browned (about 3-5 minutes,) add tomatoes and red pepper flakes and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for another ten minutes. Add chicken stock, salt and pepper. Stir everything together and continue cooking another 5 minutes or so. Add the basil saving a few leaves for garnish.

Roughly shred the slices of bread and stir into the stock pot until the bread soaks up the tomato and stock. The bread will fall apart as you stir it and it will become a chunky sloppy soup. The soup is thick and hearty and should be served hot. Drizzle olive oil over the soup  and garnish with a few basil leaf shreds. You could also have a little grated Pecorino Romano on hand to add to the soup. (optional)

Papa al Pomodoro, delizioso!

 Mangiare e godere...