Tuscany: Pappa al Pomodoro

320 g peeled tomatoes
200 g unsalted stale bread
1 clove of garlic
Olive oil 
Salt and pepper 
Basil
Vegetable broth

Tuscany: Pappa Al Pomodoro. Prepare the vegetable broth. Put the vegetables in a saucepan full of cold water: celery, carrot, onion and some cherry tomatoes. Bring to the boil and cook the vegetable broth for about 40/45 minutes. In a saucepan (preferably earthenware) gently brown the garlic cloves in the oil. When the garlic starts to brown, add the peeled tomatoes and a little chopped basil, cook for 10 minutes, crushing the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cut the stale bread into pieces, remove the garlic, add the boiling broth, the bread into pieces and the rest of the basil: the bread must be soaked well in the liquid. Cook for about ten minutes, stirring frequently, then switch off and leave to rest for at least an hour, stirring occasionally to completely undo the bread. Season with good raw oil, a little freshly ground black pepper and two basil leaves. Do not put cheese and if there is no basil in winter, sage can be used. This very ancient Tuscan and especially Florentine recipe was born from the need to recycle stale bread, rigorously Tuscan and therefore without salt. Just think that a song was dedicated to this dish by Rita Pavone, on the occasion of the television transposition directed by Lina Wertmuller of the Giornalino di Gain Burrasca who already spoke of it in 1907. A soft white is the ideal wine to combine with Pappa al Pomodoro, such as a Pinot Blanc.