Italian · lunch
40m
Total time
4
Servings
460
kcal
easy
Difficulty
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FAQ · Things people ask
You can, but fresh bread turns gluey rather than silky — it has too much moisture and the wrong starch structure. If your bread is fresh, tear it into chunks and dry it in a 100°C (210°F) oven for 20–30 minutes until chalky and dry. That gets you close enough.
Any unsalted, rustic sourdough or country loaf works well. The key is unsalted — Tuscan bread's lack of salt is what lets you control seasoning in the pot. Avoid salted sandwich bread, anything with seeds, or enriched loaves with added fat.
In August, fresh ripe plum or heirloom tomatoes are transcendent. The rest of the year, reach for San Marzano or Mutti whole canned tomatoes without hesitation — they'll outperform pale, watery fresh tomatoes every time. Don't use watery supermarket tomatoes out of season.
Yes — it's one of the few dishes that's traditionally served at all three temperatures: hot in winter, room temperature in spring and autumn, and slightly chilled in summer. The texture firms as it cools, which many people prefer. Make it ahead and serve it how the weather demands.
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Acquacotta means 'cooked water' — it was the daily meal of Maremman shepherds and charcoal burners who had little but stale bread, a few vegetables, and a good fire. Don't let the simplicity fool you: this soup has real depth, built on patience with aromatics and quality olive oil.
Cenci are what Tuscany fries up every February when Carnevale arrives — thin, blistered ribbons of dough dusted with powdered sugar, light enough to eat a dozen without noticing. The rest of Italy calls them chiacchiere, frappe, bugie, or galani depending on the region; in Tuscany, cenci means 'rags,' which describes the irregular shapes perfectly.
Gubana appeared at a papal banquet in Cividale del Friuli in 1409 — that is how seriously Friuli-Venezia Giulia takes this coiled pastry. A long-fermented enriched dough wraps a dense filling of grappa-soaked raisins, walnuts, pine nuts, and dark chocolate into a tight spiral that holds together cleanly when sliced.
Supplì al telefono are Rome's answer to leftover risotto al pomodoro — shaped into ovals, stuffed with mozzarella, and dropped into hot oil. The 'telefono' name comes from the strings of molten cheese that stretch between the two halves when you pull one apart.