Tuscan Pappa Al Pomodoro Food

PAPPA AL POMODORO

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, fennel, and garlic and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until tender. Add the ciabatta cubes and cook for 5 more minutes. Place the tomatoes in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process just until coarsely chopped. Add the tomatoes to the pot along with the chicken stock, red wine, basil, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and allow to simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• For the topping, place the ciabatta cubes, pancetta, and basil on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss well. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, until all the ingredients are crisp. The basil leaves will turn dark and crisp, which is perfectly fine. Reheat the soup, if necessary, beat with a wire whisk until the bread is broken up. Stir in the Parmesan and taste for seasoning. Serve hot sprinkled with the topping and drizzled with additional olive oil.

PAPPA AL POMODORO

Steps:

• Heat a medium Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and pancetta, and cook until the pancetta is brown and crispy, about 4 minutes. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
• Add the red onion, carrot, garlic and red pepper flakes to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the salt, canned tomatoes, chicken broth and bread cubes; stir to combine. Nestle in the basil sprigs and Parmesan rind. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle bubble. Stir in the pancetta.
• Cook for 25 minutes, stirring often to break apart the bread and prevent the Parmesan rind from sticking to the bottom of the pan. If the soup gets too thick, add extra broth as needed; the finished soup should be silky and thickened. Stir in the grated Parmesan.
• To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and top with a sprinkling of Parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil, and chopped basil.

PAPPA AL POMODORO (TUSCAN BREAD SOUP)

Steps:

• In a medium pot over medium-high heat, add olive oil and crushed garlic.
• When the garlic flavors infuse oil, add the red pepper flakes being careful not to burn them.
• Add the whole can of tomatoes into the pot, then using a spatula cut the tomatoes into chunks.
• Add salt and ground black pepper, to taste.
• (Remember, bread chunks will be added to this so make it a bit saltier then you would like it to be.)
• Add water and stir.
• With your hands, pull the bread into bite-sized chunks, then add them to the pot.
• "Toss" (do not stir) bread chunks in to the soup.
• Add basil leaves.
• Serve hot and enjoy!

TUSCAN TOMATO AND BREAD SOUP - PAPPA AL POMODORO

Steps:

• Coat a large wide pot with olive oil over medium heat and add the onions. Season with salt and crushed red pepper, to taste, and cook until the onions are soft and very aromatic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Toss in the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes. Add the wine and cook until it has reduced by half. Stir in the tomatoes, season with salt, to taste, and cook until the tomatoes are really soft and juicy, about 12 to 15 minutes. Toss in the whole basil leaves.
• Working in batches, carefully puree the tomatoes in a blender*. Return the tomato puree to the pot and add the tomato juice and the bread. Cook the soup over medium heat for until the bread has completely lost its shape and the soup is really thick, about 20 minutes. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning, if needed.
• Ladle the soup into bowls and serve garnished with grated cheese, basil chiffonade and a drizzle of big fat finishing oil.

PAPPA AL POMODORO / CLASSIC ITALIAN TOMATO SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, fennel, and garlic. Cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until tender.
• Add the ciabatta cubes and cook for 5 more minutes.
• Place the tomatoes in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until coarsely chopped. Add the tomatoes to the pot along with the chicken stock, red wine, basil, 1 T salt, and 1 1/2 t pepper.
• Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat and allow to simmer, partially covered for 45 minutes.
• MEANWHILE: Preheat oven to 375°F.
• TOPPING:.
• In a large bowl, put the reserved ciabatta bread cubes, pancetta and whole basil leaves in the bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat.
• On a lined sheet pan large enough for all ingredients, place the ingredients in a single layer, Be sure the basil leaves are flat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Bake until the cubes are toasted, pancetta crispy and basil leaves turn dark & crisp. This may take 15-20 minutes.
• Check on your soup. If the soup is too lumpy for you you can smash with a wooden spoon, potato masher or use a submersion blender to break up the bread cubes. Alternately you can puree in batches in a food processor or blender. Blend to desired consistency. I prefer a more rustic presentation.
• *Take care to only fill the blender or food processor 1/3 when you puree HOT soup.
• Turn up the heat to rewarm if necessary. At this point check for seasoning. Add more salt and pepper as needed.
• Stir in parmesan cheese, top with basil leaf, pancetta and bread cubes.
• Freezes well.

TUSCAN PAPPA AL POMODORO

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 1/4 cup oil, the red-pepper flakes, and bread; cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes.
• Add tomatoes and stock, and season with salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bread has broken down and melded into the tomatoes, about 15 minutes (the soup will be thick).
• Remove from heat; stir in basil and cheese. Season with pepper. Serve drizzled with oil and sprinkled with cheese.