Pappa al pomodoro is a thick Tuscan bread soup typically prepared with fresh tomatoes, bread, olive oil, garlic, basil, and various other fresh ingredients. The bread is usually stale or leftover. A basic preparation of pappa al pomodoro involves lightly frying the garlic in oil, before briefly cooking it in a soup with the tomatoes, bread, and basil. The dish is sometimes served hot, and at other times at room temperature or chilled. A rule upheld as a Tuscan tradition in Italy is that cheese must not be added within or on top of the dish.