Bruschetta al pomodoro is a delicious Italian appetizer made with a base of simple ingredients: bread, tomatoes, and herbs. Learn the secrets of the traditional Italian cherry tomato bruschetta recipe plus some fun options!
Bruschetta is one of those appetizers that will make you arrange an amazing dinner even if you don’t have time to cook. To make it, you need a few essential ingredients: bread, oil, a pinch of salt, and some fresh tomatoes. Nothing more. How can you make something so delicious with such simple ingredients? Let’s break down the secrets of bruschetta!
Bruschetta al Pomodoro: Its History
The origins of this dish lie back in ancient times when, due to scarcity, people would save each slice of bread. A common way to reuse bread the day after was to roast it and garnish it with salt and oil. In this way, stale old bread turned crunchy and flavorful. The name bruschetta comes from the ancient Italian word bruscare (which means to roast). With time, bruschetta became popular, and today you can find it in almost every Italian pizzeria. It’s an excellent nibble to calm your stomach while waiting for your pizza.
Original Recipe for Bruschetta al Pomodoro
The original bruschetta is made with oil, a pinch of salt, garlic, and oregano and tomatoes as a topping. With time, the basic recipe evolved, and a wide series of variations appeared. Today you can find bruschettas with almost everything: peppers, eggplants, beans and onion, olive cream, or even gourmet versions with salmon or truffle patè. You won’t be surprised to know that you can garnish your roasted bread with potentially everything in a country with such a diverse culinary tradition like Italy. The only limit is your imagination.
What makes a bruschetta so delicious, and how can you impress your guests for your next dinner? Here’s the recipe for the basic version of bruschetta.
IMPORTANT! The ingredients are listed in metric units from the original Italian recipe. In the recipe box, you’ll find a handy converter if you prefer US measurements!
Basic Bruschetta Ingredients
The ingredients for this cherry tomato bruschetta recipe are simple, but that makes using the highest quality ingredients even more important.
- A loaf of good quality bread. Rustic Italian bread is great for bruschetta, either white, wheat, or multigrain. You can also make bruschetta with a baguette or a sturdy gluten-free loaf.
- Fresh tomatoes. In this case, I used pomodoro ciliegino (cherry tomatoes) because they are well-suited to bruschetta but you can also use other types of tomatoes.
- Olive oil. A good quality extra-virgin olive oil is perfect! Bitono Terra di Bari olive oil is a good choice.
- Fresh oregano. Basil is a good substitute.
- One clove of garlic.
Bruschetta Steps for Success
The procedure is quick and easy.
Start with roasting your bread in the oven at a temperature of 200 degrees C for 10 minutes. You can also toast your bread on a grill pan: in this case, the bread will be more crunchy on the outside than inside, and you’ll need less to roast.
Meanwhile, wash the tomatoes and cut them into cubes. Garnish them with oregano, a pinch of salt, and six tablespoons of oil (you can change it according to your taste).
When the bread is ready, rub the garlic on its surface. If you don’t like garlic, you can skip this step.
Fill each slice of bread with the tomatoes as a topping, and place them onto a serving dish. Also, remember that if you’re not going to eat the bruschetta immediately, it would be better to garnish the bread a couple of minutes before serving. If you fill your bread too early, oil and tomato juice will soften it and make it too floppy.
That’s all you need to know to make a basic bruschetta al pomodoro. Simple, quick, and so delicious! You can serve it as an appetizer or have it for a pleasant and energizing lunch break.
Delicious Topping Ideas for Your Bruschetta
Finally, once you master the basic recipe for authentic Italian bruschetta, you can experiment with different variations. Here are a few to try:
- cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil
- apple, brie, and honey
- fig, goat cheese, and caramelized onions
- peach, prosciutto, and ricotta
- cranberry and pomegranate
- pecorino cheese and honey
Looking for some more Italian recipes? Try our Italian Easter Cake: Pastiera Napoletana.
Bruschetta al Pomodoro: Answers to Your Questions
Here are some of the most common questions about Italian bruschetta.
The Italian way to pronounce bruschetta is brew-skay-tah.
Cherry tomatoes are a great choice for bruschetta because they are small and easy to cut into small pieces. You can use any other type of tomato as well, but if your choice is particularly juicy be sure to drain your tomatoes before topping. 
Although many people eat bruschetta as an appetizer, you can also make bruschetta your mail course with variety of toppings, and pair it with a big salad, a selection of cheeses, and a good Italian wine.
Do you have any suggestions about a new meal? Let me know in the comments, and be sure to follow the blog to get to know my next recipes!
Bruschetta al Pomodoro
Ingredients
- 500 grams bread
- 400 grams cherry tomatoes
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tablespoons oregano fresh
- 1 clove garlic
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200 C (about 390 F).
- Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them into cubes.
- In a bowl, mix the tomato pieces, olive oil, oregano, and salt.
- Slice the bread into medium-sized slices.
- Broil your bread for about 10 minutes.
- Rub the garlic on the bread slices and top with tomato mixture. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
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12 comments
This is such a great and easy to make appetizer. I’ll use this recipe next time I’m having people around. I’m sure everyone will love it!
This is a lovely appetizer indeed and I can have it anytime . It’s wonderful to know the recipe with exact details, can’t wait to try this! Wonderful share.
We already had a few homegrown tomatoes ready and they are perfect for this. My son loves this.
I had not thought to broil the bread before adding the topping, but it made such a difference in the flavor and, of course, the texture of the bruschetta. So easy, so good!
We eat a lot of tomato bruschetta especially in the summer when we have an abundance of tomatoes in our veggie garden. Such a great appetizer or snack!
Yummy! Can’t wait to try this. 🙂
Yum! What a wonderful appetizer recipe! And so informative! Thanks for sharing!
The best recipes are always the easiest ones. Love this bruschetta and how refreshing it is the time of year as the tomatoes are at their best. I am on the south and we are now collecting ours. Look forward to making it.
This looks so simple to make! Can’t wait to try it.
This is a good way to use summer tomatoes for a quick appetizer, or for us an evening meal. I love how easy this is to make with fresh ingredients.
Bruschetta is one of my favorite appetizers, and I rarely make it. I’ll have to try your recipe soon!
this looks perfect appetizer for a get together. Looks yum.