Bruschetta al Pomodoro
Bruschetta al pomodoro is a simple, fresh Italian appetizer made with ripe summer tomatoes, toasted bread slices, fresh basil, and good olive oil. It’s quick, full of flavor, and the perfect way to celebrate peak tomato season.
Looking for more tomato recipes? Try my tomato watermelon gazpacho, fresh tomato relish, tomato bacon jam, or roasted tomato butter.
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this Italian bruschetta al pomodoro:
- Fresh tomatoes – for this classic Italian appetizer, you want to use ripe, juicy tomatoes. These could be cherry tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, etc.
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh basil
- Crusty bread – such as ciabatta, baguette, or slices of Tuscan bread
- Fresh garlic clove
How to Make Bruschetta al Pomodoro: Step-by-Step
Here are some quick visual instructions. The full instructions and ingredient list will be in the printable recipe card below!
- Prepare the tomato mixture. Cut the tomatoes in have and scoop out the majority of the seeds and juice, then cut into small pieces, and place in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with kosher salt and a couple cracks of freshly ground black pepper. Stir and let them sit for 5 minutes. The salt helps draw out excess moisture and intensify the flavor.
- Add basil & chill. Stir in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and torn basil leaves. Season to taste with more salt and pepper as needed. Chill for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to further develop.
- Toast the bread. Brush slices of bread with olive oil and toast in a toaster oven or grill pan until golden brown.
- Rub with garlic. Once toasted, rub a garlic clove over each slice of bread while still warm.
- Assemble. On a large plate, top each slice of bread with the tomato mixture, torn basil leaves, a pinch of salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Helpful Tips
- Remove most of the seeds and juice to prevent the mixture from having too much moisture.
- Too much moisture in the tomatoes = soggy toast.
- Tear basil instead of chopping to avoid bruising.
Quick Tip: Use the ripest tomatoes you can find for the best flavor.
Storage
Store leftover tomato topping separately in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Assemble just before eating.
Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations
Please remember that recipes are just a starting point.
How can you make this tomato bruschetta using what you already have? Here are some ideas…
- No large tomatoes? – you can also use sliced cherry tomatoes, but don’t worry about removing the seeds.
- Make it gluten free – use gluten-free baguette or toast.
- Add-ins – almond ricotta, garlic confit, or a smear of sauteed green onion pesto.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can prep the tomato mixture in advance, but don’t assemble until ready to serve so the bread stays crisp.
You can, but rubbing the garlic clove off the warm toast adds the essence of garlic without it tasting like you’re eating raw garlic or giving it an overpowering flavor. For this reason, I highly recommend not skipping it.
The best way to keep it from getting soggy is to serve it fresh. Only add to the crispy bread just before serving.
More Tomato Recipes
I hope you love this Bruschetta al Pomodoro! If you make this recipe, please leave a comment & a star rating below. Thank you!
Bruschetta al Pomodoro
Ingredients
- 1 pound large ripe tomatoes
- kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil plus more for drizzling
- 8 fresh basil leaves torn
- sliced semolina bread, baguette, or ciabatta
- 1 garlic clove
Instructions
- Prepare the tomato mixture. Cut the tomatoes in have and scoop out the majority of the seeds and juice, then cut into small pieces, and place in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with kosher salt and a couple cracks of freshly ground black pepper. Stir and let them sit for 5 minutes. The salt helps draw out excess moisture and intensify the flavor.
- Add basil & chill. Stir in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and torn basil leaves. Season to taste with more salt and pepper as needed. Chill for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to further develop.
- Toast the bread. Brush slices of bread with olive oil and toast in a toaster oven or grill pan until golden brown.
- Rub with garlic. Once toasted, rub a garlic clove over each slice of bread while still warm.
- Assemble. On a large plate, top each slice of bread with the tomato mixture, torn basil leaves, a pinch of salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.