Lunch · 35 min · italian

Pappa al Pomodoro

Weeknight-friendly Italian cooking: Pappa al Pomodoro comes together in 35 minutes with stale tuscan bread, ripe tomatoes, and not much else. Each serving lands at 420 calories with 9g of protein, so it eats like a much heavier meal. Leftovers keep well, so it doubles as next-day lunch without any extra work.

✓ USDA-verified nutrition data

Ingredients

• 8 oz Stale Tuscan bread
• 2 lb Ripe tomatoes
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 1 cup Fresh basil
• 3 cups Vegetable broth
• 1/3 cup Olive oil

Steps

1. Sizzle the sliced garlic in olive oil just until golden — pale gold, not brown, or it turns bitter.
2. Add the chopped tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Cook 15 minutes, until they collapse into a bright, chunky sauce.
3. Tear the stale bread into rough chunks and stir it into the pot with the broth. Push it under the surface so every piece drinks.
4. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring and mashing, until the bread dissolves into a thick porridge. Add splashes of broth if it gets stodgy.
5. Tear in the basil off the heat and stir through. The residual heat releases its perfume without cooking it dull.
6. Serve warm or at room temperature with a bold drizzle of olive oil and more basil on top.

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