A late summer burst of colours

Summer is when tomatoes are at their best, as they benefit from the warm sunny days to become red, intense, and full of beautiful flavours that those grown all year round in green houses could never aim to achieve. In Italy, we have some great tomato based dishes in the summer season, and this month’s recipe is inspired by one of those, precisely a Tuscan family meal called ‘pappa al pomodoro’.

It could be translated into some sort of ‘tomato soup’ although in Italian the word pappa is full of meaning, and any little kid would know that when someone says pappa, then it’s food time. Din dins, as we might call it over here. It is also an example of upcycling leftover food, to avoid waste and (in the original aim) to save money, as it uses stale, uneaten bread.

It is very easy to make, nourishing and comforting in its simplicity and can be made for little ones too, omitting the salt and the pepper (and the garlic should one so wish).

While most versions in Italy call for basil (and so does the recipe by author Annalisa Barbagli I used as a base), I have used fresh oregano because it grows so well here in the UK and I particularly love its more pungent and herby aroma. Do use good quality extra virgin olive oil as it really enhances the seasoning.

Ingredients

• 220 gr days old sourdough white bread
• 500 gr san marzano ripe tomatoes
• 1 shallots, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove
• 20ml extra virgin olive oil
• extra to garnish
• a few fresh orefano leaves
• salt and pepper to taste

Blanche the tomatoes in boiling water, then peel them and chop them; in a pan, let the onion and garlic brown in the olive oil and once ready, add the tomatoes chopped. Finally add the bread, broken up into chunks and add enough water to cover it all, letting it cook on a medium to low gas for about half an hour. The bread will need to be mostly softened and loose. Add a little water if necessary.

Using a stick blender, mix until smoother, leaving still some texture (as it will be a thick consistency). Garnis with a dollop of fresh ricotta, a drizzle of olive oil and the oregano, and some grated hard cheese (pecorino or grana padano) for an extra kick.