Pappa al Pomodoro

Notes: This recipe calls for dried bread. If you only have fresh bread, bake the bread at 300 F for about 10-15 minutes until it’s dried. I actually used French bread because that’s what I had, but sandwich bread would work great, too.

Place your peeled and chopped tomatoes in a saucepan and add the stock, sugar, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and the leaves from the oregano and basil. Add a dash of salt and pepper and heat slowly to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast the bread on a grill or grill pan over medium heat until it has grill marks on both sides. Then rub the garlic clobes on the bread. Place it on a plate, drizzle the remaining oil over it and mash the bread with a fork until it’s in small bits.

After the soup has simmered for 30 minutes, add the bread and stir over low heat for about 5 minutes until the soup has slightly thickened. Add more salt and pepper to taste and top with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Source: Easy Summer Food Cookbook