Bruschetta al Pomodoro with Olive (Classic Tomato Bruschetta)
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.
Servings: 8 servings
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.
