Bread Soup Caglaritana Style - Zuppa di Pane alla Cagliaritana

By Dustin

To make this you will need real Italian bread of the kind that's baked directly on the oven floor, which has a firm crust, and whose crumb has the body necessary to stand up to being soaked without becoming a mushy paste. American-style (what Italians call pane in cassetta) softer white (or other style) bread baked in a bread pan simply won't work here.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 pounds (1 k) stale Italian bread, ideally from durum wheat flour (see note)
• 4/5 cup (200 ml) whole milk, heated (you may need more)
• Tomato Sauce Made With **
• 1 pound (450 g) sun-ripened tomatoes
• A small onion, chopped
• A clove of garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 basil leaves
• 1/3 pound (150 g) freshly grated sharp pecorino Sardo or Toscano, or Parmigiano

Preparation

Step 1

For the tomato sauce, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil in a saucepot until the onion becomes translucent. Slice the tomatoes into the pot, squeezing them in your hand to crush them somewhat as you do so. Season to taste with salt and pepper and simmer for 10-15 minutes, adding the basil leaves, shredded, at the end.

While the sauce is cooking, preheat your oven to 360 F (180 C), and slice and toast the bread.

Heat the milk and dip the toasted slices in it, holding them down so they are well-moistened, and then lifting them with a strainer to let the excess drip back into the pot (for the next slice).

Heat the zuppa in the oven for 15 minutes, let it cool some, and serve it warm, with a rosé, for example a Bardolino Chiaretto or Leone De Castris's 5 Roses.