Italian · Starter · Easy
Bruschetta
Thick slices of grilled bread rubbed with garlic and piled high with juicy tomatoes, basil, and balsamic. The classic Italian starter that tastes like summer on a plate.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Bruschetta, in 5 ideas
- Ripe tomatoes are everything; out of season, roast them first for flavor.
- Drain very juicy tomatoes so the bread stays crisp.
- Rubbing the garlic on hot bread gives flavor without harsh raw bite.
- Marinating the tomatoes even 15 minutes deepens every flavor.
- Toast the bread last so it is still warm and crisp at the table.
What you need
Ingredients
- 1 rustic baguette or loaf, sliced 0.75 inch thick
- 4 large ripe tomatoes, diced
- 0.25 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, plus 1 whole clove peeled
- 0.25 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
How to make it
Directions
- Toss the diced tomatoes with the basil, minced garlic, olive oil, balsamic, salt, and pepper, and let marinate 15 minutes.
- Brush both sides of the bread slices with olive oil and toast on a grill pan or under the broiler until golden on both sides, about 4 minutes.
- Rub the hot bread with the whole garlic clove so it melts into the crust.
- Spoon the tomato mixture generously over each slice, letting some juice soak in.
- Drizzle with a little more olive oil and serve immediately.
Slightly stale bread is actually ideal for bruschetta; it crisps up better and you rescue a loaf that might have gone to waste.