Pappa al Pomodoro
Servings 2 people
Ingredients
- 600 g tomatoes
- 75 ml olive oil plus extra to toss and serve
- 2 cloves gralic peeled and crushed
- 1 bunch basil small, leaves and stalks separated
- 150 g bread
- 100 g cherry tomatoes or use another ordinary tomato instead
Instructions
- Put the tomatoes in a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water and leave to sit for a minute, until the skins begin to split.
- Drain, peel and discard the skins, then puree the tomatoes.
- Put the oil in a large pan on a medium heat, then fry the garlic for a minute or so, until fragrant but not browned.
- Add the pureed tomatoes and 300ml water, and bring to a simmer.
- Meanwhile, finely chop the basil stems and roughly chop the bread, then add both to the tomato pan. Turn down the heat and leave to bubble away very gently for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- If you’re using the cherry tomatoes, toss with a little extra oil, and put on a hot griddle pan until blistered and blackened; otherwise, roughly chop the extra tomato.
- Once the soup is thick but silky, season to taste – add a little extra water if it’s too thick to spoon – then stir in the cherry tomatoes (or chopped extra tomato). Leave to cool a little, or completely, then divide between bowls, tear over the basil leaves and finish with a little extra oil.