Classic tomato Bruschetta Italiana is a recipe you need in your repertoire because not only is the flavor impact huge, with the lovely fragrance of fresh basil and hints of garlicky goodness, but best of all, the effort required to make this appetizer is minimal.
Bruschetta was once considered cucina povera (poor kitchen/poor person's kitchen) because the ingredients used were those that were grown in abundance and readily available to peasant populations.
This culinary style revolves around the resourcefulness and use of ingredients found in the kitchen and garden.
Tomato bruschetta is a snack you can devour on its own or pair it with a hearty lentil and barley soup to form a complete meal.
If my Italian grandmother was still living, she would have thought it was funny that I've created an actual recipe for such a humble antipasto!
But truth be told, even the simplest recipes, like my recipe for hummus without garlic, or this recipe for kidney bean hummus need the right ratio of ingredients. Let me show you how to pull it all together in this classic recipe.
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What is Bruschetta?
First, let's get one thing out of the way. To pronounce bruschetta correctly, you must look deep within yourself to find that inner Italian voice.
You pronounce it broo-sket-ta. Notice there is no shhhhh sound. Now you try it broosketta....you got it 😉
Next, bruschetta refers to the bread, which is toasted, rubbed with garlic and seasoned with salt and extra-virgin olive oil, not the tomato topping.
This appetizer dates back to the Medieval times. The word bruschetta comes from the Roman dialect verb bruscare, the equivalent to the Italian word abbrustolire, which means to toast.
Ingredients
- This recipe has a handful of ingredients, so using the best and freshest ingredients will make all the difference.
- I used common grocery store tomatoes, though fresh garden tomatoes would be ideal.
See the recipe card below for all the ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Plum tomatoes, also known as Roma tomatoes, cherry or grape tomatoes can be substituted for the common variety found in grocery stores.
- Use beautiful heirloom tomatoes that are yellow or orange. No rule says the tomatoes must be red.
- Opt for a baguette or ciabatta (Italian bread) instead of a sourdough loaf.
- If you don't have bread, the tomato topping would be delicious served over your favorite crackers.
- Ricotta cheese with prosciutto and arugula as your topping instead of tomatoes would be delicious on the bruschetta, too, for example.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Combine the ingredients. Into a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients for the tomato mixture and let it sit while you heat the oven broiler, ensuring the upper rack is 6 inches from the heating element.
Arrange the bread. While the broiler heats up, arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet.
Toast the bread. Toast the bread in the oven until golden brown on one side; this should take about 2 minutes. Then flip the bread and toast the other side for 1-2 minutes.
Season the bruschetta. Season the toasted bread by rubbing a clove of garlic over the surface of each slice, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt. Cut each slice of bread into 5 pieces for a total of 15 bite-sized pieces.
Assemble the tomato bruschetta. Using a slotted spoon, divide the tomato mixture evenly over each bite-sized piece of toasted bread and serve immediately.
Secrets for Success
- Don't overload each piece of bread with the tomato mixture.
- Season the toasted bread well with extra-virgin olive oil and salt, and remember to rub each piece of bread with garlic.
- Serve immediately.
Make Ahead & Storage
- For best results, make and serve the bruschetta immediately.
- Refrain from refrigerating tomatoes because they become grainy and less flavorful, and for this reason I don't recommend making a big batch and storing it in the refrigerator.
- If you need to make it ahead of time, keep the tomatoes covered at room temperature for no more than one hour.
- The bread is best served warm.
Recipe FAQs
Bruschetta are typically larger pieces of bread, like a country loaf. Crostini means little crusts in Italian, and so are smaller and thinner pieces of bread toasted until crisp. Typically, you'd use a baguette to make crostini.
Yes, you can make bruschetta without tomatoes because bruschetta refers to the toasted bread. You can make the toasted bread and top it with various soft cheeses like ricotta or burrata, prosciutto, and fresh figs.
The oven is the easiest method to toast the bread when making this recipe for a crowd because you can toast all the pieces of bread at once. For smaller batches, the toaster and frying pan will work equally well, and if you want the bread to be crisp and roasted, you can grill the bread on the BBQ for extra flavor.
📝 Recipe Card
Authentic Tomato Bruschetta Italiana Recipe
Equipment
- medium bowl
- spatula
- chef's knife
- measuring cups and spoons
- baking sheet
- slotted spoon
Ingredients
Tomato Mixture
- 3 tomatoes, cut into ¼ inch cubes
- 15 fresh basil leaves, (about ¼ cup) chopped into ribbons *(see note below)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt
Toasted Bread (bruschetta)
- 3 slices sourdough bread, the slices should be approximately 9 inches long by 4 inches wide, and ½ inch thick
- 1 drizzle extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch coarse sea salt
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and left whole
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients. Into a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients for the tomato mixture and let it sit while you heat the oven broiler, ensuring the upper rack is 6 inches from the heating element.3 tomatoes, 15 fresh basil leaves, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1 garlic clove, ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- Arrange the bread. While the broiler heats up, arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet.3 slices sourdough bread
- Toast the bread. Toast the bread in the oven until golden brown on one side; this should take about 2 minutes. Then flip the bread and toast the other side for 1-2 minutes.
- Season the bruschetta. Season the toasted bread by rubbing a clove of garlic over the surface of each slice, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt. Cut each slice of bread into 5 pieces for a total of 15 bite-sized pieces.1 drizzle extra-virgin olive oil, 1 garlic clove, 1 pinch coarse sea salt
- Assemble the tomato bruschetta. Using a slotted spoon, divide the tomato mixture evenly over each bite-sized toasted bread and serve immediately.
Frank says
Love this, so simple yet a sure hit with guests.
Donna Poirier says
So happy to hear!