Whether you are hosting an Italian theme dinner party or craving bread for dinner, this baked spicy bruschetta will hit the spot with your guests and your loved ones.
What to expect: This quick and easy to make appetizer or light dinner will surprise you with its big taste. Bite into a spicy, crunchy, cheesy tomato baked bruschetta and enjoy every second. Don’t worry, you can go for a second, a third and many more bites after that first one.
This is how you pronounce bruschetta in Italian:
bruu – skétta
You want to elongate the u, almost as if there is an h, and then you want to put an accent on the e, emphasize the double tt, and be quick when saying the last few letters.
Bruschetta originated in central Italy, precisely in the two neighbouring regions of Lazio and Abruzzo.
The term derives from the local expression ‘pane bruscato’ which translates to toasted bread. However, it’s actually referring to bread that has been toasted on open fire rather than in a modern toaster.
Let’s look at why that’s so.
The story of this iconic Italian food is difficult to pin down with certainty.
From my research, it seems that it’s again the farmers we need to thank for this genius recipe.
With their willingness to work hard, save, and waste as little as possible they found a way to repurpose stale bread by toasting it on open fire.
That’s where the term pane bruscato, and later bruschetta, might be coming from.
That piece of bread became very important for those land workers, as it helped them satiate their hunger when they couldn’t eat because they had to keep working, or when they didn’t have enough food to fill their bellies with.
Later on, the piece of toasted bread was elevated through the products from their fields, mainly garlic, tomatoes and olive oil.
Garlic was brushed on the bread, and then it was stopped with roughly cut pieces of tomatoes, salt and drizzled with oil.
The modern bruschetta ingredients are not very far from those used by the farmers who invented it. These are:
Bread
Tomatoes
Garlic
Salt and pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil – I suggest Belmorso Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Oregano and basil are often used either alone or together
Like its origins, bruschetta bread needs to be rustic. You can use both stale or fresh bread, as the toasting process will make it delicious nonetheless.
A popular bread type that’s great for bruschetta and can be found all over the world is ciabatta.
However, Italians prefer using local artisan breads from their region. If you’d like to discover more types of bread that are great to make bruschetta read this article about the best Italian bread types.
Let’s face it, when tomatoes are fresh and grown by local farmers, most types are delicious.
However, when you are making dishes with raw tomatoes, you want the best of the best. That’s our motto in Italy, always use the best ingredients.
Pachino cherry tomatoes and San Marzano tomatoes are the finest tomatoes in my opinion.
If you can’t find that variety, I suggest trying different cherry tomatoes until you find the sweetest and most delicious one.
Cherry tomatoes are also perfect to make this starter because they are small, and you simply need to wash them and cut them in half or in four.
There are many ways to make this, so let me share two classic ones.
Inspired by those farmers who invented this dish, I suggest peeling your garlic cloves, rinsing it and smashing it a little and then spreading it on one side of your toasted bread.
If you don’t like handling garlic or want to cut on time, you can use our delicious Belmorso Garlic Paté.
Next chop your cherry tomatoes, and top with those. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with EVOO.
Enjoy.
Cut the cherry tomatoes, mince the garlic, season with salt and pepper, drizzle some extra virgin olive oil, and add some dry or fresh oregano or basil, or both.
Refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes or longer to let it get more flavourful.
Then, simply slice your bread, toast and top with the tomato mixture.
Feel free to grate some parmesan or pecorino, even though the classic version doesn’t call for that.
There’s no right or wrong way to eat this delicious food.
You can eat it for lunch, dinner or a snack; you can serve it as an aperitivo or as a light meal.
It can be a starter on its own, or accompany an antipasti platter.
You can have it before pizza or pasta, but also a main course.
Bruschetta can be a quick meal to whip up when you are craving pizza, and it’s perfect enjoyed on a movie night.
Equally, there’s nothing better than a few slices of bruschetta with a glass of wine, enjoyed in good company while you are sitting outside looking at a gorgeous view or the stars.
Finally, whichever way you choose to eat it, please use your hands.
Pair it with this antipasti platter.
Enjoy it before a plate of Orecchiette Pasta with Turnip Tops Pesto.
It’s a great starter for Fiorentina Steak.
For dessert, we suggest a classic Tiramisu or our Healthy Tiramisu with Yogurt.
In this final section I’ll be answering another three common questions about this scrumptious Italian delicacy.
Keep reading.
