Classic Tomato Bruschetta

Tomato bruschetta is one of the symbols of Italian food. And it represents the cuisine perfectly - few and quality ingredients without making things complicated - that's the way Italians do food!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Resting time 30

Total Time 1

Servings slices

Calories 154kcal

Author Pina Bresciani

Ingredients

2 cups cherry tomatoes cut into quarters
¼ cup olive oil extra virgin
2 tablespoon hand-torn basil
1 garlic clove
salt to taste
6 slices ciabatta bread

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F.
While oven is heating, add tomatoes, olive oil, basil and salt to a bowl. Mix ingredients together. Cover with saran wrap and let the mixture rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes. This will help the tomatoes release the juices, which is key to a good bruschetta.
While the tomato mixture is resting, place ciabatta slices on a baking sheet. Bake the bread for 15 minutes, turn it, and bake for another 5. The bread should be browned, and nice and crispy. Remove from the oven, and let cool slightly.
Rub the bread slices with the garlic clove.
Top the bread slices with the tomato mixture, plus the accumulated juices. Serve and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Be generous with the olive oil! One of the keys to a great bruschetta is using a lot of olive oil, which adds great richness, flavor and juiciness.
Make sure to get the bread nice and crispy. If you don't, once you top it with the tomatoes and juices, it will be soggy.
Cherry tomatoes are the best to use, because they have a high sugar content, and lots of tomato juice in them (as opposed to larger (store-bought) tomatoes which have more water content)
If you can't get cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes are a good alternative, or heirloom tomatoes when they are in season.
Bread to use - I used ciabatta but you can use any bread that has a crusty outer shell and soft inner
Make sure to let the tomatoes rest, this is important to help the tomatoes develop their flavor and release their juices
Let the tomatoes rest at room temperature, not in the fridge.
When topping the bruschetta with the tomato mixture, make sure to top it with the accumulated juices too. This juice will add flavor and help soften the bread.

Nutrition