Pappa al pomodoro. Serve in serried ceramic spoons for a truly Tuscan taste:

We have been tempting you in recent weeks with some of the extra pleasures you’ll enjoy during a Watermill creative week, from Parmesan lollipops to flour-less chocolate cake from the island of Capri.

Yes, as well as inspired tuition, warm hospitality, beautiful accommodation and stunning locations, we offer you delicious, home-cooked dishes, many of them Italian classics with a Watermill ‘twist.’ Today: Pappa al pomodoro.

This is a traditional Tuscan thick ‘soup’ made from tomatoes and yesterday’s bread, a classic ‘cucina povera’ recipe, designed to ensure no food was wasted in hard times.

The Tuscan bake their bread without salt, believing that it should not detract from the subtle flavours of the food. They do, however, seem to have more recipes containing day-old bread than anywhere else in Italy!

Pappa al pomodoro can be served hot, warm or at room temperature. At the Watermill, we present it in mouthful portions in serried ranks of white ceramic spoons, so can shuck it like an oyster with your pre-dinner aperitivi.

Recipe from the Watermill cucina: Pappa al pomodoro

Ingredients

(serves 4 as a soup, but about 32 spoons for aperitivi!)

3 cloves of garlic
1 big bunch of fresh basil
500 g cherry tomatoes
Olive oil (the best you can find)
2x 400g tins of quality plum tomatoes
200g stale quality bread, whizzed to breadcrumbs

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Peel and thinly slice the garlic, then pick the basil leaves, finely slicing the stalks. Put the cherry tomatoes in a roasting tray, scatter  the garlic and a quarter of the basil on top, add a tablespoon of the oil and roast for 20 minutes.
3. In a separate pan, add the tinned tomatoes, then one tin’s worth of water, and another tablespoon of oil. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes, remembering to scrape all the juices and sticky bits from the bottom of the tray. Add the remainder of the basil including the stalks (keeping some leaves back for garnish) and give it all a whizz in the blender.
4. Return to the pan and stir in the breadcrumbs to make a thick, silky, porridgy texture. If it’s too thick, add a little water.
5. Remove from the heat and add 6 tablespoons of oil and serve topped with a little basil for colour.

Buon appetito! Come and shuck some pappa al pomodoro with us.

We receive many accolades for our food from our guests on our Watermill creative courses. Comments like ‘out of this world’, ‘outstanding’, ‘top notch’ and ‘fabulous’ abound. Come and see (and taste) for yourself. You can read all about our creative holidays – painting, knitting and Italian language –by clicking here.

More recipes from the Watermill cucina

Remember to explore the other food blog posts and discover more Watermill recipes inspired by Italian classics and convivial meals, see the links below:

Gorgonzola soufflés
Succulent salmon with a spicy salsa
Tiramisù
Parmesan lollipops
Fennel baked in white wine and parmesan
Involtini di pollo
Panzanella
Aristà di maiale
Torta di cioccolato