Slowly cook the garlic and a little red pepper in olive oil. Add the roughly chopped tomatoes and tear the basil leaves by hand (don’t peel the tomatoes, since this is a traditional leftover recipe, but if you prefer, you can peel them by scoring the tomatoes with a cross, blanching them in boiling water, then transferring to ice water).

Let the tomatoes soften, then add the cubed rustic bread. If the mixture seems too dry, add enough broth (vegetable or chicken) to cover.

Stir occasionally until the mixture becomes soft and thick.

Turn off the heat and let rest for about 15 minutes before serving with more fresh basil.

You can also make pappa al pomodoro in winter using canned peeled tomatoes!