Easy Italian Bruschetta

A classic Italian antipasto featuring diced tomatoes, fresh garlic and basil, served on a toasted bread or crostini. It makes a great appetizer or starter to any meal, as well as a fantastic snack!

I’m sure you’ve had bruschetta at some point. It’s the epitome of perfectly mingled fresh ingredients – a fresh tomato medley atop freshly toasted bread. I can make a meal out of it. And I have many times. My friend Diana can confirm this.

It’s one of the reasons my blog is named Pebbles and Toast. The pebbles represent my life experiences and bread is the staff of life. Amp it up by toasting the bread and you achieve pure bliss. I love toast. And I’m not too picky about the toppings either – there are so many options to choose from. I hope you’ll try this one. It’s fantastic.

If you haven’t made your own bruschetta, you’re in for a real treat. It’s delicious, simple, and easy.

So let’s start with the correct pronunciation. It’s bruschetta – broo·skeh·tuh. The sch sounds like sk as in skill, skeet, scooter, and so on. I would have used school because that’s how it was taught to me in my Italian class. But I understand that school is said differently in the UK. So that’s not the best example.

So now you know. I am often incorrectly corrected by servers when I order bruschetta pronounced the correct way. I think it’s one of those things that people learn wrong, like how to say pecan. haha! I will always say it my way.

Another interesting note is that the plural form of bruschetta is bruschette. But most people never say it this way. It’s just commonly accepted with the a.

Easy Italian Bruschetta is one of the easiest things you can make! Though, it is best to prepare it the same day, usually an hour or two before you want to enjoy it. This allows the tomatoes to release any excess tomato juice that makes your toasted bread soggy. I’ll talk more about that in a moment.

For authentic bruschetta, most agree that roma tomatoes are best. They’re also known as Italian tomatoes and plum tomatoes, depending on where you live. Roma tomatoes are usually very vibrant and contain so much flavor. Because they are naturally sweet and less seeds, they’re the ideal choice for raw recipes like bruschetta.

If you don’t have access to roma tomatoes, no problem. I’ve also successfully used a myriad of tomatoes over the years and they are all delicious. So, yes, roma tomatoes may be ideal, but any tomato should work well.

The key to bruschetta is allowing the diced tomatoes ample time to release their juices. This is easily done by placing the diced tomatoes into a mesh colander or strainer, and placing that over a bowl or pitcher to capture the juice. Sprinkle a little fresh sea salt and mix gently, allowing the juices to release naturally over time. This may only take thirty minutes or as much as two hours.

The next important ingredients in Easy Italian Bruschetta are fresh garlic and extra virgin olive oil. I typically avoid using oil in recipes because they seem unnecessary in most cooking and sautéing. But every now and then, along comes a recipe like this one that depends on a particular flavor. If it is omitted, you aren’t able to capture the full essence of a dish.

This Easy Italian Bruschetta uses fresh minced garlic sautéed in extra virgin olive oil for flavor alone. That’s the only reason. If you avoid oil altogether, simply omit it and sprinkle ground garlic powder evenly atop the drained tomatoes instead. It’s still delicious, but not authentic. And that’s one hundred percent okay.

Once the garlic is sautéed and cooled, it is tossed lightly with the drained tomatoes, along with some fresh basil. While you can dice your basil, I prefer to chiffonade it. Simply lay the basil leaves on top one another and roll up into a tight roll; then cut cross-wise to create very thin ribbons or strips. Toss lightly together and season to taste, adding a little sea salt or basil, as desired.

Once your Easy Italian Bruschetta is prepared, you’re ready to toast your bread. The toast or crostini serves as a foundation and should have a nice crisp crunch when you bite in. It’s the perfect contracting texture to the softer chunky tomatoes.

I prefer using Italian bread and sourdough bread since they make the best bruschetta. And though I typically use a toaster to toast my bread, the word bruschetta is derived from the Italian word bruscare, which means to roast over coals. This means that a wood-fired grill probably makes the best bruschetta.

If you’re thinking about serving this Easy Italian Bruschetta at a party, baguettes are the way to go. They make the best crostini, which are much smaller toasted rounds, which makes them great for larger groups and parties. You can often purchase crostini to make prep even easier and more simple.

This delicious Easy Italian Bruschetta is best made when you want it.  If you spoon your bruschetta onto your toasted bread earlier, your bread will get soft and can be mushy.

So now you can enjoy some Easy Italian Bruschetta whenever your heart desires. To add even more contrasting color and pizzazz, top your bruschetta with balsamic vinegar glaze and vegan parmesan cheese. Make extra to share with family, friends, and neighbors for your next get-together.

I hope you enjoy this Easy Italian Bruschetta as much as I do.  

I would love to see your results! Please leave a comment and rate it down below, tag a picture @pebblesandtoast and #pebblesandtoast on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook!   Enjoy!!

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Ingredients

• 1½ pounds roma tomatoes, cored and chopped
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 1-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup fresh basil, chiffonade*
• crostini or Italian bread (sliced and toasted)

Instructions

1. Gently combine the tomatoes and salt and drain in a colander for 1-2 hours.

1. In a skillet over low heat, sauté the garlic in the olive oil for 4-5 minutes.

1. In a bowl, stir together the drained tomatoes, garlic, and basil. Add salt to taste, if needed.
2. Spoon the bruschetta over the crostini or toasted bread and drizzle balsamic glaze or sprinkle vegan parmesan over top, if desired.
3. Serve immediately.  

Notes

* Chiffonade: lay the basil leaves on top one another and roll up into a tight roll; then cut cross-wise into thin strips.