Pappa al Pomodoro

The next must-try food in Florence is Pappa al Pomodoro. Pappa al Pomodoro is a traditional Tuscan meal that was originally created as a way to repurpose old bread. Similar to panzanella, it is a simple meal with humble peasant beginnings and few ingredients that has, through time, experienced a dramatic revelation to the point where it is now served in kitchens and restaurants all over Italy. To make a good pappa al pomodoro, there are obviously many regional and individual variations, as is always the case with such straightforward recipes. For instance, you can add chopped garlic and onion, season it with pepper, chilli pepper, parsley, or basil, dilute it with broth to make the food softer, or enrich it with additional vegetables like celery or carrots. The Tuscan tradition has a fundamental rule that cannot be broken: grated cheese should never be added, in whole or in fragments, during the cooking process. Pappa al pomodoro is a very adaptable dish because it typically appeals to both children's and adults' tastes. Once it is finished cooking, it can be served hot in the winter or cold in the summer.

While "pappa al pomodoro" may be found in every restaurant in Tuscany, "Ribollita" (which translates to "boiled again") is a different soup that is only available in Florence. The three major components of the vegetable soup ribollita are kale, dry Tuscan bread, and borlotti beans. The soup is typically served in a terracotta terrine with grated parmesan on the side after being first boiled in a pan and then baked until the texture becomes creamy. In Italy, this meal is so well-known that a song is written about it!