Moulinex vellutate, baby food purées and Pappa al Pomodoro evoke memories for many of us who grew up with a trusty Moulinex on the kitchen bench. This simple tool—so effective at making velvety soups and smooth—remains part of Italian kitchens and traditions.
A friend’s husband recently underwent surgery for a hiatus hernia and is now following a gradual recovery diet: first liquids, then purées, and eventually soft, mushy foods. But this doesn’t have to be dull. The pale beetroot Borsch I made recently was silky, nourishing and full of flavour—proof that puréed food can still feel comforting.
MOULINEX FOR BABY FOOD
This slow return to solids reminds me of the way Italian babies begin their food journey. When my younger brother was born, I was eight and watched my mother cook with care and delight. Years later I followed the same steps with my own children.
The gradual progression of the density of food and the complexity of ingredients seems very much like what babies experience when they are introduced to solids.
We began with minestrine, gentle broths with light vegetables, and pappe made with bread. Then came purées and small pastine, followed by semolina in brodo. My mother added puréed chicken, veal liver, fine minced chicken breast or a little white fish to broth with overcooked rice. Her vellutate—a broth blended with one or two vegetables—was enriched not with cream but with an egg yolk to keep it light and digestible. A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and finely grated parmesan were introduced early.
The heart of the operation was always the Moulinex (or Mouli)—a rotary vegetable mill that made perfect baby-food textures. Unlike blenders, which pulverise everything including tough skins, the Moulinex purées vegetables while leaving behind skins and fibres.
Vegetables like zucchini, green beans, carrot, pumpkin and potato were considered the easiest for babies to digest, with spinach added later. For brain-building, as my mother liked to say, she often made minestrine with white fish, sometimes enriched with puréed potatoes or tiny stelline pasta.
My brother and my son adored pappa di pane—simple bread simmered in water or broth until soft and creamy, then enriched with olive oil and eventually a little parmesan.
Later, stewed tomato (often cooked with a basil leaf) was added, and the Mouli came out again to remove skins and seeds. No wonder Italian babies develop such an early love of flavour.
My daughter always preferred broth with pastina. The broth was made with meat and a carrot and a piece of celery, but not onion – this is too heavy for babies. The meat was removed and the carrot and celery were puréed once they were cooked and returned to the broth.
USING THE MOULINEX FOR ADULTS
The Moulinex made beautiful vegetable vellutate for the whole family. The mushroom vellutata was pretty good and made some with pulses – dried peas, lentils and chickpeas.
Basically, you can turn any left over vegetables into a good looking, tasty vellutata and some good broth.
Adults, especially in Tuscany, never lose the taste for pappa. Pappa al Pomodoro, thickened with stale bread, remains a timeless dish. Although simple, every cook and region has its own variation. What matters most is the quality of tomatoes, bread, basil and olive oil. You can keep the tomatoes rustic, or use your Moulinex to create a smoother version.
You can see why Italian babies develop a palate – a taste for flavour!
Adults, especially in Tuscany, never lose the taste for pappa. Pappa al Pomodoro, thickened with stale bread, remains a timeless dish. Although simple, every cook and region has its own variation. What matters most is the quality of tomatoes, bread, basil and olive oil. You can keep the tomatoes rustic, or use your Moulinex to create a smoother version. And although this is a rather simple recipe, you can find various versions of it across Tuscany and some other regions of Italy.
Good produce, gentle cooking and simple tools like the Moulinex are at the heart of Italian comfort food—whether for babies, convalescing adults or anyone who loves nourishing, flavourful dishes.
Pappa al Pomodoro Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 2–3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- Extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
- 1 kg fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped, or 800 g good-quality canned
- 200 g day-old white bread, crusts removed, cut into chunks
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock (or water)
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh basil
Method
Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until soft and fragrant. Add tomatoes and cook until reduced and thickened, like a salsa.
Add stock, bread, seasoning and basil. Simmer on low for 10 minutes, stirring to break down the bread.
Serve the pappa warm or at room temperature topped with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and fresh basil leaves.
CUCINA POVERA; REDISCOVERING SOUP
MACCU (a thick, broad bean soup, made at the end of winter to celebrate spring)
