PAPPA AL POMODORO

Pappa al Pomodoro image

If you have bright summer tomatoes and some day-old bread, you're already most of the way to this dish, a Tuscan bread stew. The tomatoes are puréed, then cooked down with onions and garlic and finished with crumbled bits of the bread, and served at room temperature. It's ready in 30 minutes for a satisfying summer dinner.

Provided by Florence Fabricant

Time 30m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 8

Ingredients

3 pounds ripe fresh tomatoes
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 9-inch piece day-old Italian bread
3 tablespoons finely chopped basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Basil leaves for garnish

Steps:

Cut the tomatoes in half horizontally and squeeze the halves gently to remove the juice and seeds. Coarsely chop the tomatoes, removing the cores. Place in a food processor and process to a finely chopped but not a pureed consistency.
Heat half the oil in a large saucepan or skillet. Add the onion and cook until soft but not brown. Stir in the garlic, saute briefly, then add the tomatoes. Cook about 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have softened and are thick.
Soak the bread briefly in cold water, squeeze out the water, then crumble the bread into the tomato mixture. Mix, then add the basil and season to taste with salt and pepper. The mixture should be thick.
Serve at room temperature garnished with basil leaves and with the remaining olive oil drizzled over the top.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 220, UnsaturatedFat 15 grams, Carbohydrate 13 grams, Fat 19 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 3 grams, SaturatedFat 3 grams, Sodium 618 milligrams, Sugar 7 grams