Bruschetta Recipe

Fresh tomatoes add a taste of summer to the table.

Mar 27, 2009 Claire Vath

This quick Italian dish can adds a zesty complement to a meal.

Bruschetta is a dish that can easily be made out of most ingredients you keep on hand in the kitchen anyway. With its roots in Italy, bruschetta comes from the word “bruscare," which means "to roast over coals."

From the Etruscans and the ancient Romans, Italian cuisine has always been revered. Tomatoes, an everyday Italian staple, were introduced by Europeans who had explored the Americas. Italy’s climate was suitable for growing the fruit and became a common kitchen ingredient. Olive oil, garlic and basil are also widely used in antipasti dishes, pizzas, sauces and main courses.

This bruschetta recipe comprises all these ingredients. It's quick to prepare and versatile: You can serve it as an appetizer at a party, as tapas, for dinner or as a snack. And it always pairs nicely with a glass of wine.

Here are the ingredients you need, though there's room for variation:

1.5 pounds tomatoes (Use anything from vine-ripened, plum, heirloom, cherry or regular old garden tomatoes; it really doesn't matter.)
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
French bread or any type of artisan bread (You can also buy the hard round toasts at the grocery store if you're in a hurry or simply use Melba toast)
Basil (Fresh is better, but dried may be substituted in a pinch)
Salt and pepper to taste
Shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:

Wash the tomatoes and dry them. Dice the tomatoes and place in a bowl.
Mince two cloves of garlic (this may be amended to taste) and add to bowl.
Mix in 2 teaspoons of balsamic, 1 tablespoon olive oil and basil, salt and pepper and shredded parmean cheese, all to taste.
To prepare the bread:
In the meantime, to make your croute (essentially dry, crunchy toast), preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Brush your bread with olive oil and place on a tray in the hot oven for 5 to 6 minutes. This will dry the bread out to crouton consistency. Once those are taken out of the oven, you can opt to rub a garlic clove over the top of the bread to give it a garlicky essence.
Transfer the croutes to a plate, and spoon the tomato mixture onto the bread. Garnish with a basil leaf.
You may also add thin slices of fresh, soft mozzarella cheese to the bruschetta as a nice companion to the acidity of the tomatoes.
Arrange on a platter with fresh sprigs of basil for garnish.

Try some twists on classic bruschetta:

Bruschetta with Pesto and Tomatoes

Pear and Brie Bruschetta

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