Pappa al Pomodoro

You can make this soup with both canned or fresh tomatoes. If I am using fresh ones, I cut them in half, remove the core and as many seeds as I can. I then roast them in the oven at 250 degrees F for two hours cut side down. I let them cool and pass them through the food mill. I find this extra step intensifies the flavor and creates a tastier soup. It would take about a pound and a half of decent sized plum tomatoes to obtain 1 1/2 cups of prepared tomatoes – so for 6 cups of prepared, you’d need 6 pounds.

Pass the tomatoes through a food mill. In a large pot, saute the onions in the oil until they are translucent. Add the tomatoes and broth and bring to a boil. Skewer the garlic cloves on a long wooden skewer or on toothpicks to be removed later and drop them into the pot. Reduce the soup to a simmer and cook 20 minutes. Add the bread cubes and basil and season to taste with salt & pepper. Simmer for an additional 20 minutes. Take a whisk and break up the bread to thicken the soup. Remove from the heat.

Mix the pesto with a little olive oil and drizzle this on top of the soup before serving.

To serve: I like to serve this soup just slightly warm, garnished with a pretty sprig of basil, some cracked black pepper and a drizzle of the pesto olive oil blend on top.