Easy Italian Recipes

 MAKES 4 servings

- 4 tablespoons (2 fI oz/60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Ib (1 kg) fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, or 1 can (28 oz/875 g) plum (Roma) tomatoes, drained and chopped
- 4 slices day-old coarse country bread, crusts removed and torn into small pieces
- 4 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Tuscan cooks are frugai, as this traditional tomato and bread soup made from cubes of day-old bread illustrates. Italians typically feel that many foods, including a number of soups, taste best when they are neither too hot nor too cold. They believe that moderate temperatures don't shock the taste buds, so that ali of the flavors will come through. This soup is a good candidate for testing the theory, as it is delicious fresh off the stove, at room temperature, or in between.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the onion and celery and sauté unti) the vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté unti! fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Add the tomatoes and 4 cups (32 fl oz/1 I) water and bring to a simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, unti) the vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes.
Fit a food mill with the fine disk, piace over a bowl, and pass the contents of the saucepan through the mill. Or, purée in batches in a blender or food processor. Return the soup to the pan over medium heat. Add the bread, basii, and salt and pepper to taste and bring to a simmer. Cook unti) the bread is soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in a little more water if the soup becomes too thick.
Serve the soup hot, warm, or at room temperature. Ladle into soup bowls and drizzle evenly with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil.

Buon appetito!