Three Tasty Tuscan Recipes to Cook While Traveling

10/2021 - Barbara Keller

You want to enjoy the maximum amount of regional specialties of the city you’re visiting, but eating out every day isn’t an option? The solution is short and simple: cook at your rental! And we don’t just mean your standard pasta with tomato sauce or the avocado toast you’re eating at home all the time. Why don’t you try some regional dishes instead?

At numa, we recently took a major step forward and expanded to Italy. As we launched two beautiful properties in Florence—Rodo and Vita—we fell in love with Tuscan food. And who can hold it against us; don’t we all love Italian cuisine? Some locals shared their favourite traditional meals with us and we’re passing them on to you. To make sure you’ll experience an explosion of rich taste in no time, we picked three quick and easy Tuscan recipes: the beloved Pappa al Pomodoro, a thick tomato soup made with bread; Pici all’aglione, a traditional pasta dish and last but not least Panzanella, a delicious salad with a twist. Keep reading and get a taste of “La dolce Vita” on your table.

Pappa al Pomodoro

4 portions, preparation time 30 minutes

Ingredients

400 g tomatoes
200 g hard white bread (without salt)
1 clove of garlic
10 leaves of basil
olive oil
water
salt and pepper

Method

Put the tomatoes in boiling water for 2 minutes, then peel, cut in half and remove the seeds.
Cut the tomatoes, finely chop the garlic, cut the bread into pieces and put everything into a pot with the basil leaves. Finally, cover the ingredients with water.
Let the soup simmer over low heat, stirring repeatedly until tomatoes and bread are cooked. Season with salt and pepper and puree if necessary. Garnish with fresh olive oil and enjoy lukewarm.

Pici all’aglione

4 portions, preparation time 25 minutes

Ingredients

400 g pici (traditional Tuscan pasta)
4 cloves of garlic
12 tbsp olive oil
250 g semi-dried cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp capers
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp. chili flakes
salt
pepper
2 slices stale white bread
4-5 sprigs basil
freshly grated parmesan to serve

Method

Cook the pasta according to the instruction on the package in a large pot of salted water, drain and save some of the pasta cooking water.
Peel and finely slice the garlic and cut the tomatoes into stripes.
Heat olive oil in a large frying pan and sauté garlic and tomatoes over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, constantly stirring.
Add the capers, oregano and chili flakes and sauté for another 1-2 min.
Add the pasta and, if necessary, some of the pasta cooking water, and season everything with salt and pepper.
Crumble the white bread and add it to the pan.
Wash the basil, pluck the leaves and cut into fine stripes. Add to the pasta and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. If the Pici all'Aglione seem too dry, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil or pasta cooking water.

Panzanella

4 portions, preparation time 30 minutes

Ingredients

260 g white bread
2 cups cherry tomatoes
2 red onions
1 bunch of basil
6 cloves of garlic
8 tbsp olive oil
6 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 pinch of sugar
100 g arugula
salt and pepper

Method

For the Tuscan Panzanella, first preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius using the top/bottom heat setting. Dice the bread and spread it on a baking tray. Peel and chop the garlic and mix it with the bread. Drizzle everything with oil and roast it in the oven until the bread is golden brown.
In the meantime, wash and halve the tomatoes, peel and chop the onion. Mix both in a bowl with a little salt and leave to soak for a while.
Wash the basil, drain and chop it. Wash the rocket, then mix the basil with oil, vinegar, sugar, and pepper. Add the rocket, mix everything and pour over the salad.
Add the bread cubes and let the salad rest for 10 minutes.

Now that we’ve provided you with the recipes, nothing stands in the way of a delicious, home-cooked Italian dinner. Whether you’re currently enjoying a holiday in Tuscany, you’re staying in one of our numa properties outside of Italy (there are plenty of options, in case you haven’t checked them out yet) or you’re simply at home craving some mouthwatering food, these flavours will immediately immerse you in panoramic roads and mild hills of the Tuscan landscape, with its olive trees, vineyards, and cypresses. If that sounds as tempting to you as it does to us, put on an apron and grab your wooden spoon. Buon appetito!