Learn how to make authentic Italian bruschetta with ripe summer tomatoes and basil. This classic recipe uses the freshest, in-season ingredients for the best-tasting Italian appetizer.
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There's nothing quite as good as fresh, summer tomatoes. They're bursting with amazing flavor and sweet juices.
After going to culinary school in Italy, I learned how to use high-quality, in-season ingredients to make amazing dishes. One of the dishes we learned was classic Italian bruschetta.
This dish, if made correctly, is meant to be simple yet super tasty! I'm going to teach you how to make an authentic version of this dish with fresh summer produce and high-quality extra virgin olive oil.
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What You'll Learn In This Recipe
- Important ingredients you'll need for authentic Italian bruschetta.
- Simple tricks for ensuring you get the best-tasting appetizer.
- How to prevent the bruschetta bread from becoming soggy.
If you want more delicious and simple authentic Italian dishes, grab my free eBook with 10 of the best recipes.
Ingredients You Need
Italian dishes are often simple and require minimal ingredients. Traditional Italian bruschetta is no exception!
- Ripe tomatoes: You must have tomatoes that are fresh and taste great if you want this recipe to turn out successfully. Don't try making this with winter tomatoes (they must be in-season).
- Extra virgin olive oil: Always use an extra virgin olive oil that has a great taste since the flavor is so prominent in this dish.
- Basil leaves: Another key ingredient to authentic Italian bruschetta is fresh, in-season basil. I prefer it roughly torn over chiffonade.
- Morton kosher: Tomatoes need a decent amount of salt to help enhance their flavor. Always taste the tomato mixture and use more salt as needed.
- Crusty bread: You need some kind of bread that's crusty (like sourdough) so the juice from the tomatoes doesn't cause the bread to become too soggy. Avoid soft bread like brioche, challah, or white bread.
- Garlic: You'll need a fresh garlic clove for this recipe. Jarred or powdered garlic won't work.
How To Make This Recipe
This is a super simple, 30-minute appetizer that's easy to whip together, especially if you're hosting an Italian dinner party.
1. Add tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, basil, and salt to a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to sit for 15 - 30 minutes until the tomatoes have slightly released their juice. Taste and add more salt as needed.
2. Cook the sliced bread uncovered over direct heat for 1 - 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown with grill marks. Don't walk away from the grill because the bread cooks very quickly!
3. While the bread is still warm, rub the clove of garlic over the top.
4. Evenly spoon the tomato mixture and extra juice over each slice of bread. Optionally, garnish with additional basil leaves.
Expert Tips
- You can also grill the bread on the stove in a cast iron or grill pan. Just heat your pan over medium-high heat and cook for 2 - 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
- I like to cut the tomatoes directly into the mixing bowl so you can save the juice.
- Want to switch up your bruschetta? Try adding some additional mix-ins or toppings:
- Diced red onion
- Anchovies on top
- Fior di latte mozzarella
- Finely diced garlic
- Chili pepper (peperoncino)
Recipe FAQs
It depends on what region in Italy makes the bruschetta. However, most commonly, Italian bruschetta does not have cheese.
You can grill the bread a couple of hours ahead of time (just leave it at room temperature). However, never add the tomato mixture to the bread until right before serving.
First, it's important to use crusty bread (like sourdough) not soft bread like brioche, challah, or white bread. Next, ensure you grill the bread so it becomes crunchy and holds up to the tomatoes and their juices.
I never recommend making this dish ahead of time. Only add the tomatoes to your bread once you're ready to serve the dish.
More Italian Tomato Recipes
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Classic Italian Bruschetta
Equipment
- grill or stove
Ingredients
- 1 pound ripe tomatoes large diced
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 8 medium basil leaves roughly torn
- ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt plus more to taste
- 10 slices crusty bread (like sourdough)
- 1 clove garlic
Instructions
- Preheat a gas grill to medium-high heat (400°F or 205°C).
- Add tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, basil, and salt to a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to sit for 15 - 30 minutes until the tomatoes have slightly released their juice. Taste and add more salt as needed.
- Cook the sliced bread uncovered over direct heat for 1 - 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown with grill marks. While the bread is still warm, rub the clove of garlic over the top.
- Evenly spoon the tomato mixture and extra juice over each slice of bread. Optionally, garnish with additional basil leaves.
Notes
- Diced red onion
- Anchovies on top
- Fior di latte mozzarella
- Finely diced garlic
- Chili pepper (peperoncino)
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