Pappa al Pomodoro

Sting and Trudie Styler's private chef, Joe Sponzo, grows tomatoes at Il Palagio for his take on the classic Tuscan pappa al pomodoro, a hearty tomato-bread soup. When they're ripe, Sponzo passes them through a food mill to make passato, a concentrated tomato puree he jars for year-round use. He buys his bread in Figline Valdarno, from a bakery that uses a wood-fired oven. "You want a dense, crusty bread, then let it get stale for two days," he says.

• 5 pounds tomatoes
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 large onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• Pinch of crushed red pepper
• Salt
• 1/2 pound stale, crustless, 1-inch Italian bread cubes (4 cups)
• 1 cup basil leaves, torn
• Ricotta cheese, for serving