We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: the Italians know how to eat. And with the most important weekend of feasting – Thanksgiving – rapidly approaching, throwing a little Italian flavor into the usual menu of turkey and all the fixins’ is a foolproof way to impress your guests. Our Tuscan chef Graziella Malgeri’s Pappa al Pomodoro is a hearty, classic Tuscan soup made with just a few ingredients, so as always with Italian food, the fresher the better. Here’s how to make it:

Ingredients (serves 4): 

♦ 250g bread (a few days old is best)
♦ 3 garlic cloves, crushed
♦ 400g fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
♦ 1 bunch fresh basil
♦ 1 l hot vegetable stock
♦ 6 tbsp. olive oil
♦ 1 pinch of sea salt and freshly milled black pepper
♦ A handful of grated Parmesan cheese
♦ Fresh bread to serve

Method: 

First, peel and chop the tomatoes and cut the stale bread into small cubes. Next, heat the oil in a sauce pan over a medium heat, add the garlic cloves and let cook for a couple of minutes.  Drop in the chopped tomatoes and bread cubes, then season with salt and pepper. Mix well, then add the basil and stir in the hot stock a ladleful at a time. Let the mixture simmer, stirring until you can no longer see the stock. It should look like a soft tomato mash. Serve topped with a drizzle of oil, fresh bread and a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese.

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