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Bruschetta al pomodoro, or tomato bruschetta with olives, is an easy appetizer that never fails! With simple, fresh ingredients like juicy, ripe, fragrant tomatoes, aromatic basil, briny black olives and the best extra virgin olive oil you can find topped on crusty grilled bread, this is authentic Italian food at its finest.
Make a batch of bruschetta al pomodoro, pour yourself an aperol spritz, head outside to the deck and feel like you’re on a terrazza in Italy this summer.
Seriously though, if this classic Italian tomato bruschetta does not make you feel like you’re back in the old country, nothing will.
While I love making and eating bruschette of ALL types, like this zucchini pesto bruschetta, there is nothing quite like the OG–raw, ripe tomatoes, the best olive oil, fresh garden basil, salt, grilled country bread.
With clean, simple flavors, pomodoro bruschetta has come to symbolize the true essence of la cucina italiana–seasonality, simplicity, quality and the ability to transform humble ingredients into something extraordinary.
And, enjoy all those ripe, summer tomatoes in the process!
Some other recipes with fresh tomatoes that I love to make all summer long are Sicilian pesto Trapanese, vodka sauce with fresh tomatoes, tomato and garlic confit, pasta with raw tomato sauce and ricotta and caprese panzanella salad.
What is bruschetta and how do you pronounce it?
Bruschetta (pronounced brew-sket-ta) is an Italian word derived from the Roman dialect bruscare which means “to roast over coals”. Not coincidentally, bruschetta traces its origins back to ancient Rome where peasants grilled stale bread over an open fire for a simple addition to their meals.
While this word is commonly used to refer to its popular tomato topping, “bruschetta” actually refers to the bread itself, not the (tomato or any) topping. Originally, it consisted only of toasted rustic bread rubbed with garlic, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled lightly with salt.
Over time, bruschetta has evolved to include toppings of all types besides just tomatoes, from anchovies and butter to cured meats, caponata, various cheeses and even chunky zucchini pestos! Think of it like a blank canvas with endless possibilities!
What’s the best bread for bruschetta al pomodoro?
Use hearty and good quality bread with a sturdy crust to make bruschetta so that it can hold any juicy toppings. It should be on the firm side once grilled. Some great options are pane di casa (classic Italian bread), sourdough, ciabatta, baguette or filone bread. Day old bread is a great option as it has had a chance to dry out and will hold the juicy topping really well. Everyday sandwich bread is not the best option for a good bruschetta.
Bruschetta vs. Crostini
These two are very similar and are both served as appetizers or snacks.
Bruschetta (which actually refers to the bread, not the tomato topping) is generally a large, thick slice of bread that’s grilled until charred a bit, rubbed with raw garlic and then brushed or drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. It’s often topped with tomatoes and basil, though other toppings from meats to vegetables can be used.
Crostini (pronounced cros-teenie), which means “little toasts,” are thinner, smaller slices of bread (usually from a baguette) that are always toasted then piled with various toppings, such as vegetables, savory spreads, and cheeses. Sometimes, crostini refers to a crouton in soups and salads. It’s basically the Italian version of the French canapé.
And then, there’s the lesser known Tuscan fettunta which means “the oily slice”. It’s simply grilled rustic bread, rubbed with a garlic clove, drizzled with the very best, extra virgin olive oil that you can get your hands on, and then sprinkled with coarse sea salt. It’s usually enjoyed in the fall in central Italy to taste and celebrate the first olive oil of the season.
Ingredients for Bruschetta al Pomodoro
To make this bruschetta con pomodori recipe properly, use the best quality ingredients that you can, as they will truly make a difference. The ingredients are few, but significant.
- Fresh Tomatoes: Use juicy, ripe tomatoes without blemishes or dark spots. Traditionally, this dish is made in the summer when tomatoes are in their prime form. I love making this dish with my own homegrown “sauce” tomatoes, like plum, roma and San Marzano tomatoes. (“Sauce” or “paste” tomatoes tend to be more oval, oblong or pear-shaped and are more meaty than “slicing” tomatoes for sandwiches and salads.) Ripe, sweet tomatoes are essential for this dish. Having said this, this recipe can and should be made year-round. In the off-season, I will make tomato bruschetta with grape, pear or cherry tomatoes that tend to be reliably sweet year-round. I don’t suggest using canned tomatoes for this bruschetta recipe. Whatever tomatoes you use, they should be fragrant and firm but soft enough with a bit of give when you apply pressure.
- Salt: Salt is not just seasoning in this dish, but also a tool to draw out the juices from the tomatoes and make the mixture a little saucy, which pairs nicely with the grilled bread. Any type of salt will do. I prefer either a light, flaky salt or fine salt.
- Black, Oil-Cured Olives: I love the extra briny, salty tang that these olives add to the dish’s overall flavor. They add a pleasant contrast to the sweetness of the tomatoes. Having said this, if you are not a fan of olives, just omit them.
- Fresh Basil: Lots of it. Be sure that the basil leaves are fragrant and fresh and not limp or wilty. Ideally, buy (or harvest) it on the day you are making this dish.
- Garlic: I left out raw garlic from the topping recipe as it has a very strong taste when not cooked. Instead, I opted for milder garlic confit or roasted garlic. Having said this, the tomato mixture will still be so good even without any garlic at all. (It will still have a nice garlic essence when the just grilled bread is rubbed with raw garlic.) Or, if you want to add a little raw garlic to the topping, go for it. But, I suggest mincing it and adding a little at a time.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Use the really great olive oil in this recipe–you will taste the nuances of it in both the tomato topping and when brushed onto the just-grilled bruschetta bread. Choose a first, cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil that has not been on your shelf for years. Fresher (younger) is better when it comes to olive oil.
- Bread: The essence of bruschetta! Choose a hearty and good quality bread with a sturdy crust such as pane di casa (classic Italian bread), ciabatta, sourdough, baguette or filone bread.
How to Make Bruschetta al Pomodoro
Prep is super quick and simple, relying mostly on the seasonable sweetness of ripe tomatoes. Here are the main steps for making this tomato bruschetta recipe:
- Prep the tomatoes. If using plum or Roma tomatoes, remove the core, then chop the whole tomato (including the pulp and seeds) into a small dice and scrape the tomato pieces and their juices into a large bowl. If using grape, cherry or pear tomatoes, slice them in ¼ lengthwise and place in a large bowl.
- Add the olives, olive oil, garlic, salt, black and crushed red pepper to the tomatoes and stir well. Let this mixture sit for 30-60 minutes at room temperature.
- Meanwhile, prepare the bruschetta bread. Grill both sides of the bread slices on a very hot grill or grill pan until slightly charred. Note that the bread should be dry and not drizzled with olive oil prior to grilling.
- PRO-TIP: If you don’t have access to a grill or grill pan, no problem! You can make the crostini version, which basically means that the bread is toasted in the oven or in a toaster.
- As the bread slices come off the grill, rub the surface of one side of the hot grilled bread with the cut side of a garlic clove. Next, brush it lightly with extra virgin olive oil.
- Fold the fresh basil into the tomato mixture and stir well. Then, top the seasoned grilled bruschetta bread with a generous scoop of the tomato topping and voilà–you have authentic bruschetta. Serve immediately. That’s it!
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Serving Suggestions and Storage for Tomato Bruschetta
Bruschetta di pomodoro is the quintessential summer snack, appetizer or nibble with an afternoon aperitivo.
As an antipasto, I love pairing it with a simple pasta such as spaghetti aglio e olio and a large green salad. It’s also a perfect starter to a nice grilled steak or roast chicken.
For a fun, interactive, build-your-own-bruschetta BBQ appetizer, instead of fully assembling and topping the bruschette, serve the tomato olive mixture in a bowl (like salsa) surrounded by seasoned, ready-to-be-topped grilled bread. Considering adding other bruschetta topping options as well, such as this zucchini pesto. This way, there will always be crunchy and never soggy bread and everyone loves customization!
If you think that you’ll have leftover topping, don’t assemble all the bruschette. Just put together as many as you think you’ll need. Store leftover tomato topping in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up 2 days. Bring it to room temperature if serving atop grilled bread again. Leftovers are also great tossed with pasta as is or combined with a little pecorino and ricotta cheeses, as in my pasta crudaiola recipe.
You can also turn leftover tomato mixture into a quick Tuscan bread salad, like this panzanella Toscana, by combining the juicy, tomato sauce with cubed toasted bread and adding in lots of fresh basil.
Store leftover grilled bread in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for a couple days.
More Summer Recipes You’ll Love
- Grilled-Then-Marinated Eggplant
- Classic Zucchini Fritters with Lemon and Basil
- Crispy Baked Panko Crusted Zucchini and Summer Squash
- Peperonata ~ Sautéed Bell Peppers with Olives and Capers
- Zucchini Parmesan with Ricotta
- Baked Tomatoes Provençal with Parmesan and Breadcrumbs
- Easy Homemade Basil Pesto
- Tomato Confit with Garlic
- Italian Fried Peppers
Recipe Substitutions and Variations
Once you have the sweet tomato base in place, you can add some other complementary ingredients to Italian bruschetta al pomodoro, such as:
- Capers, olives and anchovies for a briny puttanesca-style or pine nuts and raisins for more Sicilian-ness.
- Fold chopped nuts, such as pistachios or almonds, in at the end along with the basil for a nice crunch and richness.
- Use garlic oil instead of or in addition to extra virgin olive oil.
- Fold in small pieces of fresh mozzarella for caprese bruschetta.
- Experiment with other fresh herbs such as dill, thyme, oregano.
- Add a splash of white or red wine vinegar or lemon juice to the mix for some acidity.
- Drizzle the assembled bruschetta with a little tangy and sweet balsamic glaze.
- Spread the bread with a shmear of mashed avocado, pesto or ricotta before adding the tomato topping for a richer taste.
Love bruschetta? If so, check out this colorful caprese bruschetta with fresh mozzarella and tomato and this deconstructed zucchini pesto bruschetta.
TOP TIPS FOR BRUSCHETTA AL POMODORO
- Tomatoes: Use juicy, ripe tomatoes at room temperature. Plum, roma and San Marzano tomatoes are perfect when in season and reliably-sweet-year-round cherry, grape or pear tomatoes are great in the off season.
- Olive Oil: Be sure to use your best extra-virgin olive oil in this dish–it will make a big difference!
- Bread: Choose a hearty and good quality bread with a sturdy crust that can hold up to the juicy topping, such as pane di casa (classic Italian bread), ciabatta, sourdough, baguette or filone bread. Everyday sandwich bread is not the best option for a good bruschetta–it will fall apart from all the juices.
- Grilling the Bread: Be sure to wait until AFTER grilling to season the bread with the raw garlic and olive oil. If you brush the bread with olive oil prior to grilling, it will burn and become unpalatable. The bread should be dry when grilled.
- Rub Bread with Garlic: Don’t skip this! Be sure to rub the hot, just grilled bread with raw garlic! It’s a classic bruschetta technique that give the bruschetta a bit of an edge and makes it extra special.
- To Prevent Soggy bruschetta con pomodoro, don’t top the bread with the tomato topping until ready to serve.
- Make in Advance? You can make the tomato topping up to 3 hours before serving. As it sits, the salt will continue to draw more juices out of the tomatoes. I actually like this as it pairs nicely with a strong, crusty bread. But, if you prefer a dryer topping, just use a slotted spoon when topping the bread
- Serve Immediately! To prevent soggy bruschetta, serve it immediately once you’ve topped the bread with the juicy tomato topping.
More Great Recipes to Try
I hope that you are enjoying my Italian food blog and all of my Italian recipes and Italian-American recipes!
If you’ve tried Bruschetta al Pomodoro, please let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
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Bruschetta al Pomodoro with Olive (Classic Tomato Bruschetta)
Ingredients
For the Tomato Topping:
- 2 pounds ripe plum or Roma tomatoes (See NOTES.)
- ½ cup pitted and rough chopped black, oil-cured olives
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic confit or roasted garlic, mashed (optional; See NOTES.)
- 1 tsp salt
- Pinch freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch crushed red pepper (optional)
- 1 cup loosely-packed, chopped or hand-torn fresh basil
For the Bruschetta:
- 12-20 slices of even thickness Italian, ciabatta, sourdough or your favorite bread (depends on the bread size)
- Several raw garlic cloves, cut in half or smashed
- Extra virgin olive oil (can use some or all garlic oil)
Instructions
- Gather and prep all ingredients according to specifications above. Prep the tomatoes. If using plum or Roma tomatoes, remove the core, then chop the whole tomato (including the pulp and seeds) into a small dice and scrape the tomato pieces and their juices into a large bowl. If using grape, cherry or pear tomatoes, slice them in ¼ lengthwise and place in a large bowl.(Please see the section above in the blog post for Step-By-Step instructions with photos.)2 pounds ripe plum or Roma tomatoes
- Add the olives, olive oil, garlic, salt, black and crushed red pepper to the tomatoes and stir well. Let this mixture sit for 30-60 minutes at room temperature. The salt will draw out the juices from the tomatoes and make the mixture a little saucy, which will pair nicely with the grilled bread. Stir the tomato mixture a few times while it sits.½ cup pitted and rough chopped black, oil-cured olives, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 6 cloves garlic confit, 1 tsp salt, Pinch freshly ground black pepper, Pinch crushed red pepper
- Meanwhile, prepare the bruschetta bread. First, preheat the grill or grill pan until very hot. Then, grill both sides of the bread slices until slightly charred. Note that the bread should be dry and NOT drizzled with olive oil prior to grilling.12-20 slices of even thickness Italian, ciabatta, sourdough or your favorite bread
- As the bread slices come off the grill, rub the surface of one side of the hot grilled bread with the cut side of a garlic clove. Next, brush it lightly with extra virgin olive oil.Several raw garlic cloves,, Extra virgin olive oil
- Fold the fresh basil into the tomato mixture and stir well. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Then, top the seasoned grilled bruschetta bread with a generous scoop of the tomato topping. Serve immediately. Buon Appetito!1 cup loosely-packed, chopped or hand-torn fresh basil
Notes
- Use juicy, ripe tomatoes at room temperature. Traditionally, this dish is made in the summer when tomatoes are in their prime form. I love making this dish with my own homegrown “sauce” tomatoes, like plum, roma and San Marzano tomatoes. (“Sauce” or “paste” tomatoes tend to be more oval, oblong or pear-shaped and are more meaty than “slicing” tomatoes for sandwiches and salads.) Ripe, sweet tomatoes are essential for this dish. Having said this, this recipe can and should be made year-round. In the off-season, I will make tomato bruschetta with cherry, grape or pear tomatoes that tend to be reliably sweet year-round.
- If using large, beefsteak-style tomatoes, you may want to deseed them and not use all the pulp as it will dilute the flavor of the topping.
- I left out raw garlic from the topping recipe as it has a very strong taste when not cooked. Instead, I opted for milder garlic confit or roasted garlic. Having said this, the tomato mixture will still be so good even without any garlic at all. (It will still have a nice garlic essence when the just grilled bread is rubbed with raw garlic.) Or, if you want to add a little raw garlic to the topping, go for it. But, I suggest mincing it and adding a little at a time.
- Use your best extra-virgin olive oil in this dish–it will make a big difference!
- Be sure to wait until AFTER grilling to season the bread with the raw garlic and olive oil. If you brush the bread with olive oil prior to grilling, it will burn and become unpalatable. The bread should be dry when grilled.
- If you don’t have access to a grill or grill pan, no problem! You can make the crostini version, which basically means that the bread is toasted in the oven or in a toaster. I still suggest rubbing the toasted bread with garlic and drizzling it with olive oil.
- To prevent soggy bruschetta, don’t top the bread with the tomato topping until ready to serve.
- You can make the tomato topping up to 3 hours before serving. As it sits, the salt will continue to draw more juices out of the tomatoes. I actually like this as it pairs nicely with a strong, crispy bread. But, if you prefer a dryer topping, just use a slotted spoon when topping the bread.
- Store leftover tomato topping in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up 2 days. Bring it to room temperature if serving atop grilled bread again. Leftovers are also great tossed with cooked pasta as is or combined with a little pecorino and ricotta cheeses, as in my pasta alla checca recipe.
- Leftover grilled bread can be stored in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for a couple days.
Love all the info in this recipe and beautiful photos. The recipe worked great.