Bruschetta is the Italian way to serve vine-ripened fresh tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil, and a whole lot of flavor on a piece of toasted bread. These are the perfect hors d’oeuvre’s, starters, or why not a lunch in itself! In my mind, the trick to this recipe is to assure that the tomato liquid doesn’t dampen the bread too soon. I devised a clever way to make your slices of toast extra-flavorful and extra-crispy, by melting Parmesan cheese onto the tops of them first. The first time I made these was for a dinner party, and we literally couldn’t quit eating them! These are perfect as an appetizer for an Italian dinner!
Ingredients:
Bruschetta
– 10 fresh Italian Tomatoes (the plum-shaped ones)
– 1/4 cup chopped fresh Garlic
– 1/2 cup of fresh Basil Leaves
– 3 tablespoons of Olive Oil
– 2 tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar
– 1 teaspoon Salt
– 1/2 teaspoon Ground Pepper
The Bread Slices
– 1 Baguette of French Bread, or 1 thin loaf of Italian White Bread
– 1/2 cup slivered or grated Parmesan Cheese
– 1/2 cup Olive Oil
Directions:
The Bread Slices:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice the loaf of bread into either diagonal or straight one-inch-thick slices, depending on the size of “pick up” appetizers you want to serve. (The diagonal is going to give you more surface to cover in Bruschetta topping.)
In a small plate or saucer, pour 1/4 cup of olive oil. Take each slice of bread and dip both “faces” of the slice in the oil to dampen them “front” and “back” with olive oil. Place the slices of olive oil dipped bread onto a cookie sheet or pizza pan. Cover the tops of each slice of bread with a coating of Parmesan cheese. Bake the cheese-covered bread slices in the 350-degree oven and toast them for 10 minutes. (If you want them even crunchier, you can bake them an additional minute or two, but watch them very carefully. You want crunchy edges, not burnt ones!
Remove the toast slices from the oven, and set them aside to cool. (If you are giving a party, you can toast the bread and make the tomato topping, and set everything to the side until minutes before serving them.)
The Tomato Topping:
Chop the 10 tomatoes into little squares. Slice the fresh garlic and chop into minced pieces. Slice the basil leaves, and in a large mixing bowl combine them with the salt, pepper, three tablespoons of olive oil, and the two tablespoons of Balsamic vinegar.
NOTE: There is going to be a lot of liquid from the tomatoes, so when you assemble these, use a slotted spoon, or trap against the wall of the mixing bowl a tablespoon full of tomatoes, basil and garlic, and allow the juice to run off.
Assemble the Bruschetta with a spoon, putting as generous a layer as the slice of bread will allow. Serve them on hors d’oeuvre plates or on a platter for people to put onto their individual plates.
If you want to serve these at a buffet table for a party, I would suggest letting your guests put their own topping on by serving the toasted bread and the tomato topping in separate containers. You don’t want soggy Bruschetta!
It is estimated that Bruschetta as a recipe, dates back to Ancient Rome. So why not put on a toga, make a martini, or pour a nice glass of wine, and have an appetizer that is fit for the Emperors of Ancient Rome!?!
Bruschetta
– 10 fresh Italian Tomatoes (the plum-shaped ones)
– 1/4 cup chopped fresh Garlic
– 1/2 cup of fresh Basil Leaves
– 3 tablespoons of Olive Oil
– 2 tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar
– 1 teaspoon Salt
– 1/2 teaspoon Ground Pepper
The Bread Slices
– 1 Baguette of French Bread, or 1 thin loaf of Italian White Bread
– 1/2 cup slivered or grated Parmesan Cheese
– 1/2 cup Olive Oil
Directions:
The Bread Slices:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice the loaf of bread into either diagonal or straight one-inch-thick slices, depending on the size of “pick up” appetizers you want to serve. (The diagonal is going to give you more surface to cover in Bruschetta topping.)
In a small plate or saucer, pour 1/4 cup of olive oil. Take each slice of bread and dip both “faces” of the slice in the oil to dampen them “front” and “back” with olive oil. Place the slices of olive oil dipped bread onto a cookie sheet or pizza pan. Cover the tops of each slice of bread with a coating of Parmesan cheese. Bake the cheese-covered bread slices in the 350-degree oven and toast them for 10 minutes. (If you want them even crunchier, you can bake them an additional minute or two, but watch them very carefully. You want crunchy edges, not burnt ones!
Remove the toast slices from the oven, and set them aside to cool. (If you are giving a party, you can toast the bread and make the tomato topping, and set everything to the side until minutes before serving them.)
The Tomato Topping:
Chop the 10 tomatoes into little squares. Slice the fresh garlic and chop into minced pieces. Slice the basil leaves, and in a large mixing bowl combine them with the salt, pepper, three tablespoons of olive oil, and the two tablespoons of Balsamic vinegar.
NOTE: There is going to be a lot of liquid from the tomatoes, so when you assemble these, use a slotted spoon, or trap against the wall of the mixing bowl a tablespoon full of tomatoes, basil and garlic, and allow the juice to run off.
Assemble the Bruschetta with a spoon, putting as generous a layer as the slice of bread will allow. Serve them on hors d’oeuvre plates or on a platter for people to put onto their individual plates.
If you want to serve these at a buffet table for a party, I would suggest letting your guests put their own topping on by serving the toasted bread and the tomato topping in separate containers. You don’t want soggy Bruschetta!
It is estimated that Bruschetta as a recipe, dates back to Ancient Rome. So why not put on a toga, make a martini, or pour a nice glass of wine, and have an appetizer that is fit for the Emperors of Ancient Rome!?!