Pappa al Pomodoro (Tuscan Bread Soup)

TV and Film star Debi Mazar (Entourage, Goodfellas) and her Tuscan husband Gabriele Corcos make real home-style Italian classics.

” Welcome to our first episode of the season.
Today, to fulfill the requests of many of you that read the article on People Magazine, we are cooking for you the famous Pappa al Pomodoro!
A brief note about what you will see, as there are two small differences in the way Rosanna and I prepare the Pappa.
She sautes the whole cloves of garlic to flavor the oil, and then she takes them out.
I chop the garlic and I leave it in...I love garlic!
She adds the bread to the tomatoes and then she adds the broth,
I add the broth to the tomatoes and when it boils I add the bread.
Either way, as long as you have the right proportion of ingredients you will be fine.
Tip: you can save some bread and some broth, in case you need to add one of them to achieve the preferred consistency.

Lets get cooking!”

1. In a large stockpot, warm the olive oil on medium heat and sauté the garlic until just golden.
2. Add the tomatoes, the basil, the salt and a grind of black pepper. Cook for 15 minutes.
3. Add the vegetable broth, stir well, and bring to a boil.
4. Add the bread and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often.
5. Take soup off the heat, and let it sit for about 1 hour, so the bread will absorb as much sauce as possible.
6. Before serving, give soup a final stir. Serve warm – not hot. (Reheat if necessary.)

Consistency: You should be able to eat the Pappa with your fork. Add some broth if its too thick and you still need to "work" the bread, or add some bread if the soup is too liquid.

Absolutely do not dress it with Parmesan cheese! Garnish your dish with the remaining basil, and some extra virgin olive oil. Now you are officially a Tuscan farmer!