A friend of mine used to make it. This isn't her recipe but here is one in English:

Pappa al Pomodoro

8 whole garlic cloves
1-3/4 pound can of plum tomatoes
1 pound loaf of stale bread, sliced (or unseasoned stuffing mix)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 leek, thinly sliced, only white part
6 cups water
1 bunch basil
Salt
Chili pepper

The night before slice the bread and leave it out to get stale. (This does happen in Tuscany with our unsalted bread.) You can force the drying in a warm oven.

Sauté the whole garlic cloves and leek in olive oil with the chili pepper. When the garlic has lightly browned and the leek is just getting golden, add the tomato sauce. Season with salt. Add half the basil leaves torn into tiny pieces. Crush the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon and stir. Cook until the tomatoes fall apart.

Tear the bread into small pieces and put into the sauce. The bread will soak up the sauce and get quite thick. Add enough water to soften the bread and to make it liquidy. Add the remaining basil and cook until the bread becomes a "mush"-- PAPPA!

Enjoy this thick stew-like soup on a cold day with a drizzle of extra virgin oil on top. I like to reheat it the next day by sauteing some sliced garlic and more chili in oil and then reheating. This gives it an extra kick!

Here is a link that might be useful: Divina Cucina

You are SO lucky to be in Italy! Bueno manga! (or something like that). Plus I'm sure the scenery is fab. too. Here's a great farro recipe that I had in my files. It is a Bobby Flay recipe from the FN Web site. I have "Yummy" in my notes next to it. I made it with spelt berries though.

Farro Salad with Grilled Eggplant and Onions and Tomatoes
Bobby Flay

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups farro
3 Japanese (baby) eggplants, halved (Lpink's notes: I used a regular eggplant)
1 small red onion, peeled, halved, and thickly sliced
Olive oil, for brushing
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, washed and sliced in 1/2
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
Sherry Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Directions
Cook farro in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well and place in a large bowl. (Lpink's notes: it took an hour and four cups of water using spelt berries. I used broth instead of water).

Heat grill to high. While the farro is cooking, brush the eggplants and onion slices with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until just cooked through. Remove from the grill and cut into 1-inch dice. (Lpink's notes: I roasted the vegetables in the oven since I don't have a grill).

Add the eggplant and onions to the farro along with the tomatoes and dill. Pour Sherry Vinegar over the farro mixture and stir to combine. Garnish with additional dill. Best served at room temperature.

Sherry Vinaigrette:
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1/4 cup sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup olive oil
Whisk together the shallot, vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, and dill in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil until emulsified.

I was on a business trip staying at a conference center on the outskirts of Volteranno so it was more work than fun (but I do enjoy the work). I did take a couple of days to explore before the meeting and I had a stick shift rental car (about the only kind available so I reconnected with that skill too on the very curvy hilly roads of Tuscany. We went up to the walled town for most dinners and it is a wonderful atmosphere.

The scenery was beautiful. The climate and vegetation is very similar to my part of California, but the buildings are totally different and it is very hilly. The view from the walls of this hill top town was great. In one spot on a clear day I was able to see the sea and an island, someone said it was Elba.

If you are ever there, try to get outside the town walls to Trattoria da Bado for a meal. While all the food I had on the trip was good, this was the best. I ate there twice. That is where I had the pappa al pomodoro. I also had zuppe Volterrana on another visit there which was also very good.

The recipe above sounds close for the pappa, but I don't think there was any chili in what I had. The farro salad sounds about right. I don't recall the veggies being grilled in the one I had but I think that would add a nice touch. I also saw it used in soup and I think it can be used to make something similar to a rissoto with barley instead of rice.

Here is a link that might be useful: My favorite restaurant from the trip

I remember seeing RR make this. Here is her version.

Papa Al Pomodoro
Rachael Ray

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan, plus some for drizzling
4 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium to large onion, finely chopped
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1 quart chicken stock
4 cups, about 1/2 pound, chopped or torn stale bread
2 (15-ounce) cans small white beans, such as Goya brand (smaller than cannellini beans)
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano to pass at table
10 fresh basil leaves, torn, optional

Heat a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, garlic and 3/4 of the onion. Cook 7 to 8 minutes, then add tomatoes and crushed tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Add stock and raise heat to make the soup bubble. Reduce heat to simmer and add bread and beans. Stir soup as it simmers until it thickens to a stew-like consistency. Turn off heat, adjust seasonings and ladle into shallow bowls. Top with grated cheese, an additional drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a spoonful of reserved finely chopped raw onions. Torn basil is an optional garnish.