TABELIAAUTHENTIC ITALIAN RECIPE
Authentic Bruschetta al Pomodoro
Rome’s classic antipasto of ripe tomatoes on grilled bread. With so few ingredients, the quality of the tomatoes and olive oil decides the result.
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Ingredients (2 servings)
- Ciabatta4
- Ripe tomatoes3
- Garlic2 cloves
- Fresh basil8
- Extra virgin olive oil3 tbsp
- Salt0.5 tsp
- Black pepper1 pinch
Method
Drain the tomatoes
Cut 3 ripe tomatoes into 1cm cubes, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and let stand for 5 minutes. Pat the released liquid dry with paper towel.
Marinate the tomatoes
Finely chop 1 garlic clove. Combine with the tomatoes, 8 torn basil leaves and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt until well balanced.
Toast the bread
Cut 4 slices of ciabatta about 1.5cm thick. Grill or toast both sides until golden, about 2–3 minutes per side.
Rub with garlic and finish
Rub the cut side of the remaining garlic clove over the toasted ciabatta. Top with the marinated tomatoes, drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and finish with black pepper.
About this dish
In a Roman trattoria, this dish is usually the signal that the meal has begun. A thick slice of pane casereccio, farmhouse bread, grilled over coals, then rubbed directly with the cut side of a garlic clove — that gesture alone brings bruschetta close to finished.
The name bruschetta comes from the Latin bruscare, meaning to char over coals. Originally, farmers used it during the olive harvest to check the quality of freshly pressed oil. In Tuscany and Umbria, bruschetta soaked generously in just-pressed oil still shows up on the table as a seasonal harvest custom.
The Roman-style tomato topping is a relatively recent habit, though today it’s firmly established: ripe tomato, basil and extra-virgin olive oil, combined.
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