Bruschetta is a fresh, simple and delicious Italian appetizer that can be prepared in minutes and enjoyed any time of the year.
In its simplest Italian form, bruschetta requires that bread be toasted over real coals, then rubbed down with slices of raw garlic, drizzled with olive oil and finished with a little bit of sea salt and fresh pepper.
Variations evolved to further incorporate things like chopped tomatoes, beans and fresh herbs. This Instructable recreates the standard Italian tomato bruschetta that you'd often be served in an Italian restaurant at the start of a meal, quickly and easily in your own kitchen.
If you've got 15 minutes and are looking for a delicious appetizer to start off your favorite Italian meal, then this bruschetta recipe Instructable is the answer for you.
In its simplest Italian form, bruschetta requires that bread be toasted over real coals, then rubbed down with slices of raw garlic, drizzled with olive oil and finished with a little bit of sea salt and fresh pepper.
Variations evolved to further incorporate things like chopped tomatoes, beans and fresh herbs. This Instructable recreates the standard Italian tomato bruschetta that you'd often be served in an Italian restaurant at the start of a meal, quickly and easily in your own kitchen.
If you've got 15 minutes and are looking for a delicious appetizer to start off your favorite Italian meal, then this bruschetta recipe Instructable is the answer for you.
Step 1: Ingredients
Bruschetta is made up of very simple flavors, and is therefore best if you make it with highest quality and freshest ingredients you can find.
- 2 lbs. fresh tomatoes (roma, heirloom, beefsteak...whatever is in season is best)
- 1/2 fresh onion
- 4 cloves fresh garlic
- 1 bunch fresh basil
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt and fresh ground pepper
- Italian bread or baguette
Step 2: Dice the tomatoes
Using a sharp knife, dice the tomatoes as small as you can. I try to aim for 1/4" cubes and try to mush or break the tomatoes as little as possible.
Step 3: Chop the onion
Next, finely chop the onion and throw it into the bowl.
**If you're opposed to using raw onions, you can also lightly saute the chopped onion in a frying pan with a little bit of olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. It adds a sweeter deeper flavor to the bruschetta, and is an excellent variation to this recipe.**
**If you're opposed to using raw onions, you can also lightly saute the chopped onion in a frying pan with a little bit of olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. It adds a sweeter deeper flavor to the bruschetta, and is an excellent variation to this recipe.**
Step 4: Chop the garlic
Next, chop the fresh garlic and add it onto the growing pile of deliciousness.
Step 5: Add in fresh basil
Add in some fresh basil to taste. I'm using 3-4 large leaves here, but there's no "right" amount.
The cutting method that I'm using to chop the basil is called a chiffonade. Check out the How to Chiffonade Instructable for a complete explanation of that method.
The cutting method that I'm using to chop the basil is called a chiffonade. Check out the How to Chiffonade Instructable for a complete explanation of that method.
Step 6: Olive oil, salt and pepper
Add in the extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and fresh ground pepper and mix the ingredients thoroughly.
If you've got the time, let the mixture setup for 30 minutes in the refrigerator, if you don't it's also delicious when eaten immediately.
If you've got the time, let the mixture setup for 30 minutes in the refrigerator, if you don't it's also delicious when eaten immediately.
Step 7: Toast the bread
Cut 1/4" thick slices of fresh Italian bread or baguette and toast them.
A proper bruschetta would use real hot coals to toast the bread, but it's perfectly understandable if don't have access to a slow burning fire moments before serving dinner. Toast the bread in a toaster, or under the broiler if you've got a big batch.
Once the bread is good and toasted, remove it from the oven and use a pastry brush to paint each slice of bread with olive oil. Then, using half a hunk of raw garlic, rub one side of the crusty slices down to impart some delicious garlic flavor directly onto the bread.
A proper bruschetta would use real hot coals to toast the bread, but it's perfectly understandable if don't have access to a slow burning fire moments before serving dinner. Toast the bread in a toaster, or under the broiler if you've got a big batch.
Once the bread is good and toasted, remove it from the oven and use a pastry brush to paint each slice of bread with olive oil. Then, using half a hunk of raw garlic, rub one side of the crusty slices down to impart some delicious garlic flavor directly onto the bread.
Step 8: Serve
Finally, pile as much of the bruschetta as possible onto the freshly toasted bread, serve, and enjoy!
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Quick and easy, and everybody loves it....
After reading this instructable, my taste buds were tingling with excitement and I was drooling onto the floor. I have always adored Italian food especially Bruschetta.
Thanks for this amazing instructable.
what about a "true Italian" variation about this recipe?
If you can exchuse me for my bad English, here's the hack: no onion (is not part of the original recipe), and, if you like the garlic but are scared about "social issues" with your breath, use only a bit of it chopped very small and left, with oil (not salt to avoid the tomato to "steam too much") for an hour at least and, just before serving, rub garli OVER toasted bread dosing "your flavor"... you'll be delighted!
I wonder about the garlic though, rubbing the bread gives you "subtle", but it will be masked by the "strong" in the topping - why both?
L
I plan to make bruschetta every time I get a baguette, I always make some monstrous amalgamation of Bruschetta and baguette pizzas that seems to get hotter than the sun in the course of cooking...
Though I love making up the sauces for such things, writing them down or replication is always impossible though