Bruschetta (brus-ket ah) is actually harder to pronounce than it is to make. To make it is very easy – much easier than you would think and you certainly do not need to be Italian to make it! Keep reading, I’ll explain.
What bruschetta is
Bruschetta with tomatoes
When I generally think of bruschetta images of grilled bread with fresh chopped tomatoes come to mind, however the “bruschetta” part of it is actually just the bread, garlic and olive oil. The tomatoes are really just a topping.
You can have various toppings for your bruschetta such as basil pesto, eggplant pesto or as in this recipe – fresh tomatoes.
I strongly recommend using fresh tomatoes. I know they tend to get pricey at various times of the year, but really… it’s worth it. Canned tomatoes just do not taste the same.
Ok, so to get started.
The ingredient list:
- Italian bread or baguette (the fresh kind from the bakery section)
- Garlic cloves
- Fresh chopped tomatoes drained (3 – 4 medium tomatoes)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Dash of salt (optional)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450 F.
- Slice the bread into 1/2 inch slices
- Bake for 4 minutes on each side until golden brown
- Remove from oven and rub the garlic gently on the bread. There is a trick to rubbing the garlic on the bread – you need to crush the garlic first so the juices are able to be spread (just peel the garlic and then press it with a wide knife to make it go splat).
- Gently rub the bread making sure not to leave large bits of garlic. Toss the remaining garlic in with your pasta water, sauce or use it to rub the sides of your salad bowl.
- Drizzle the olive oil over the bread
- Top the slices with the tomatoes just prior to serving – this helps keep the bread from getting soggy. Speaking of soggy – don’t use your food processor – do these by hand so the tomatoes do not get chopped too fine.
- Give one small drizzle of olive oil over the tomatoes- this part is optional, I just think it helps spread the flavor. Remember, using extra virgin adds much more flavor than regular olive oil. My favorite at the moment is Olivari (you can go to their website and find out who sells it – I know Walmart does at the time of this writing)
- Add a small dash of kosher salt and serve warm!
You are done. That’s it.
Creative Ideas/Toppings
Bruschetta is fun to make because it is so versatile. And in all honesty, that appetizer that I overpaid for at that restaurant, they have every right to do it however they want, but I don’t know… it just didn’t seem right.
I like sticking to the basic Italian toppings:
- Pesto spread
- Chopped fresh basil
- Some roasted red pepper
- Sprinkling of shredded mozzarella cheese – or slices
- Or simply serve with garlic and olive oil
At what point do the toppings take away the meaning of bruschetta? Maybe someone from Italy can tell me. I wasn’t there long enough to be able to answer my own question.
All I do know, is the Italians cook with simple ingredients that are fresh. This is one of those side dishes that you can do while simply preparing the pasta.
So now I know what to do with my bowl of fresh picked tomatoes from my garden. Thanks for all my readers, without you I wouldn’t have half the motivation I need to stay up on things in the kitchen!
Your truly,
Liz
Related posts:
- What is the Original Meaning of Bruscetta? Today if you go to any restaurant that offers bruscetta on the menu, you will most likely get a piece...
- Easy Recipe for Italian Marinated Tomatoes With 2 Uses Here is a really easy recipe that I’m not even sure can be called a recipe because it is so...
- Easy Pasta with Tomato and Artichokes Recipe Tonight I had an amazingly easy recipe which I made on the fly and I think you will like it...
- Grilled Eggplant with Tomato and Fresh Italian Cheese Recipe This recipe is very easy to make and great for the summertime when it’s grillin’ time and these vegetables are...
- This week’s recipe – Ciabatta Bread Pizza Recipe This week I featured an easy pizza recipe which actually does not use pizza dough. Instead it uses ciabatta bread...