Bruschetta al pomodoro.

Name: Bruschetta al pomodoro
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 lb ripe tomatoes, diced; 0.5 tsp salt; 0.25 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to drizzle; 8 fresh basil leaves, torn; 12 slices crusty country bread, ½ inch (1.2 cm) thick; 2 cloves garlic, halved; to taste black pepper

Grilled bread, garlic, ripe tomatoes, basil and good olive oil. And it is pronounced “broo-SKEH-tah”.

15 minPrep

5 minCook

6Servings

EasyLevel

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The story of bruschetta.

The name comes from “bruscare”, to toast over the coals. It began as the simplest snack of the Italian countryside: a slice of bread grilled on the fire, rubbed with garlic and soaked with freshly pressed olive oil. In Tuscany it is still called “fettunta”, the oily slice.

Tomatoes and basil came later and made it famous worldwide. One tip for Americans: in Italian, “ch” sounds like “k”, so it is “broo-SKEH-tah”.

Origin: Central Italy, Italy

Tips for the best bruschetta.

Tomatoes: use the ripest you can find: Roma or cherry tomatoes in summer.
Bread: a crusty country loaf, sliced about ½ inch (1.2 cm) thick.
Timing: top the bread just before serving so it stays crisp.

Three steps. That’s it.

What each stage should look like.

Step 1

Prepare the tomatoes.

Dice the tomatoes, salt them and let them drain briefly.

Step 2

Grill the bread.

Toast the slices until golden, then rub them with garlic.

Step 3

Top and serve.

Add tomatoes, basil and a generous drizzle of olive oil.

Illustrations created with AI

Recipe

Bruschetta al pomodoro.

Prep 15 min · Cook 5 min · Total 20 min

6 servings

Ingredients

ripe tomatoes, diced
salt
extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to drizzle
fresh basil leaves, torn
crusty country bread, ½ inch (1.2 cm) thick
garlic, halved
black pepper

Instructions

Put the diced tomatoes in a colander, sprinkle with salt and let drain for 10 minutes.
Transfer to a bowl, add the olive oil, basil and a little pepper and stir.
Grill or toast the bread slices on both sides until golden and crisp.
Rub one side of each hot slice with the cut side of a garlic clove.
Spoon the tomatoes on the bread just before serving.
Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and serve immediately.

Notes. For the Tuscan “fettunta”, skip the tomatoes: just grilled bread, garlic, salt and the best new-harvest olive oil you can find.

What you’ll need.

Grill pan.

For the classic grill marks indoors.

Serrated bread knife.

For even slices.

Good olive oil.

Here it is the main ingredient.