cooking challenge week six: pappa al pomodoro

You will need:

2 kilos of ripe tomatoes
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 handful of basil
1/4 cup olive oil plus extra for drizzle
Approx 4 - 5 slices of bread
Approx 1 litre boiled water
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated, plus extra for serving
Salt and Pepper to season

What to do:

Slice your tomatoes in half and deseed them (use a dessert spoon to scoop out the seeded flesh). Some recipes will tell you to use tinned tomatoes but I never have and wouldn't suggest it. This is a great fresh dish. Reserve the tomato pulp for another recipe. it will keep in the freezer.



In a large saucepan, over moderate temp, heat some olive oil and the finely chopped garlic cloves. Sizzle until just about to brown. Reduce the heat right down and add the halved tomatoes. Season with some salt and pepper and a tablespoon of olive oil. Stir well to mix. Add the lid and leave to reduce for approximately half an hour. You might want to check on it every five minutes or so and give it another stir... and it smells so good!

Once the tomatoes have mostly lost their shape, add enough boiling water to cover the tomato mix by abot 2cm. Return the heat to high and leave to simmer for about 10 minutes. If you're making this in advance, take it off the heat at this stage and leave it to rest.

Slice or tear the bread (remove any crusts from store bought bread) and add to the soup. Roughly tear the basil leaves (reserving some for extra garnish) and add them, with the parmesan cheese and olive oil. Stir well and leave to reduce for a further 20 minutes or so. The bread should have completely lost its shape and the soup should basically look like a thick gluggy red mess. Delizioso!! This is called a soup but it has more the consistency of a stew. If there is literally no moisture in your creation, feel free to add a little more water. Just don't go overboard; it's not meant to be runny.


Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper if required. Serve garnished with an extra drizzle of oil, a grate of parmesan cheese and a few extra shreds of basil.


These quantities should serve four (or two generously!). Enjoy.