← Nouns Cooking · Italian

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
• 3 cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 pinch Chilli flakes (optional)
• 1 kg ripe tomatoes, or 2 tins of plum tomatoes (400 g each), chopped
• 500 ml vegetable stock or water
• 250 g stale crusty Tuscan-style bread or sourdough, crusts removed, torn into chunks
• 1 bunch large bunch of basil
• 1 pinch Sugar (optional)
• Salt
• Black pepper

Method

1. Warm the oil in a large pan over medium-low heat and cook the garlic (and chilli, if using) for 1–2 min until fragrant but not brown.
2. Add the tomatoes, a good pinch of salt and half the basil. Simmer for 15 min, stirring, until the tomatoes collapse into a sauce. Add a pinch of sugar if they taste sharp.
3. Pour in the stock and bring back to a simmer. Add the bread and push it under the liquid.
4. Cook gently for 15–20 min, stirring and mashing with a wooden spoon, until the bread breaks down into a thick, porridge-like soup. Add a splash of water if it gets too stiff.
5. Take off the heat, tear in the rest of the basil and leave to stand for 10 min. Serve warm or at room temperature with a generous swirl of olive oil.

Tips

• Unsalted Tuscan bread is traditional; if your bread is salty, go easy on the seasoning.
• In summer, Tuscans eat it at room temperature, when the flavour is at its best.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

GialloZafferano Lazy Cat Kitchen Pasta Grammar