Pan Con Tomate Spanish Tomato Bread

You can have pan con tomate for breakfast, a quick lunch, or an afternoon snack. It’s excellent when ripe tomatoes are at their best during the hot summer season.

Pan con tomate video

Ingredients & Substitutions for Spanish tomato bread

How to make pan con tomate

Modern pan con tomate

Variations

Serving suggestions

Storage

More tomato recipes

More appetizer ideas

It’s a simple recipe from the peasant tradition, with a slice of rustic bread topped with ripe fresh tomatoes, sea salt, and plenty of good quality extra virgin olive oil. The beauty of this recipe is the use of simple ingredients of the highest quality, the cornerstone of Mediterranean cooking. So while pan con tomate is one of the simplest recipes on our blog, its success will be determined by your ability to find fresh, ripe, and tasty tomatoes, good artisanal bread, and good quality extra virgin olive oil. If you are in for the challenge, get ready to be surprised by the wholesome, fresh, and genuine flavors of pan con tomate. Here I’ll show you the classic recipe – as my nonna would make it – and the modern one that you can find in tapas bars in Barcelona.

Bread

Artisanal bread from your local bakery is best. Avoid bread that comes in a plastic package. We use Tuscan bread, but you can also get your local sourdough loaf, ciabatta bread, and even a rustic baguette. It’s best if the bread has a compact crumb with small holes that prevent the tomato and the oil from falling through. Also, opt for lighter loaves of bread and avoid German-style, dark bread made from rye flour and with seeds. Their intense flavor will overpower the delicate taste of tomato olive oil flavor.

Olive oil

It must be extra virgin olive oil, best if cold pressed and made from olives of the Mediterranean (Italy, Spain, Greece).

Sea salt

Opt for sea salt or kosher salt, and avoid table salt.

Garlic (optional)

Garlic is optional; rub it on the bread before adding the tomato. This recipe shouldn’t be overly garlicky. A quick garlic rub is plenty. If you like, you can lightly toast the bread in the oven, grill, or air fryer, but this is optional. You can also rub the bread with garlic, which is also optional. Cut the garlic clove in half without peeling it, then rub the cut side on the crusty bread.

Classic pan con tomate

Rinse, dry, and cut the tomatoes in half. Rub the cut side of the tomato on the bread until you are left with the peel. Tip: use ripe tomatoes. You can discard the skin of the tomatoes or chop them up and add it on top of the bread. Season Spanish tomato bread with a generous drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Season the tomato pulp with extra virgin olive oil and salt and toss to combine. With a spoon, arrange the tomato mixture on the bread, drizzle with some tomato juices and olive oil, and sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt. Toss the beans with olive oil, basil, salt, and black pepper and arrange them on the tomato.

Tomato Bruschetta

Tomato bruschetta is similar to pan con tomate, using the same ingredients. In bruschetta, the tomatoes are chopped into dice and marinated in olive oil, salt, black pepper, basil, and crushed garlic before they are added to toasted bread. Check out our tomato bruschetta recipe. Travel to Spain’s Southern and Eastern Mediterranean coast, and you’ll find it a delicious breakfast option in most hotels and cafes.

Appetizer or side dish

Tired of bruschetta? Try this pan con tomate instead. Serve it next to crostini with:

Sautèed mushrooms. Olive tapenade. Grilled veggies (zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms). Ricotta cheese, pecorino, or mozzarella. Marinated onions, aioli, or manchego cheese.