Aspiring Elephant

If you are looking for an amazing side dish to accompany your Italian dinner, then look no further – enter bruschetta. Bruschetta is proof you don’t need a ton of fancy ingredients to make something truly special. Most great meals have one major thing in common, they use fresh ingredients. Using only bread, tomatoes, garlic, lemon, salt, pepper, and basil, these kitchen staples unite like a symphony to create an appetizer that will seriously awaken your taste buds. Pair it with decadent pasta, like my Braised Short Rib Ravioli, and you’re in business. There are probably a million different ways to make bruschetta, but as with most of my recipes, I like to keep things simple. Here’s how I like to prepare bruschetta when I’m in a pinch!

The Cool History of Bruschetta

Well, it might not be that cool to some, but when I am eating something that I know people have been enjoying for literally thousands of years, I find it pretty cool. The history of bruschetta dates all the way back to Ancient Rome. Needing a use for stale bread, Romans would often char what they had left over open fire, then topping it with whatever was available, more often than not, tomatoes and olive oil. The word “bruschetta” derives from the Italian word “Bruscare” which means “to roast over coals”. As previously mentioned, there are tons of variations of this dish, which are very representative of particular regions. For example, in Tuscany, it’s traditionally made with tomatoes, basil, and fresh mozzarella. The southern region of Calabria prefers to add pepper and oregano. Travel over to Greece and you’ll find their own regional stamp utilizing feta and artichoke.

Type of Bread

Bruschetta is traditionally made with a firm, Italian loaf like Ciabatta. But there are many types of bread that will work. Any type country loaf, sourdough, baguette, pagnotta, focaccia, tuscan bread, are also great options. As long as the bread is firm enough to handle grilling or frying while holding wet ingredients, so it doesn’t become soggy, you’re good to go. I opted to use one one of my favorite types of bread – Italian Semolina.

Ingredients

• bread
• tomatoes
• lemon juice
• salt
• pepper
• garlic
• basil

How to Make Bruschetta

Start by slicing as many pieces of bread you think you’ll need. I like to keep them about 3/4” to 1” in thickness. For the topping, dice a few tomatoes, then place those in a small dish. I love to promote the knife that I use any chance I get. Like I have said before, I am NOT getting paid to promote this brand but I want to be transparent about the tools I use. My knife of choice for now can be purchased at William’s Sonoma – the Shun Hikari 8” Chef’s Knife.

Add a 1/2 tbsp of lemon juice, followed by salt and pepper to taste. If you are grilling your bread, feel free to add some olive oil to the mix, but since we’re going to be shallow frying these, it’s not needed. Heat a shallow layer of olive oil in a pan, until you start to see smoke. Carefully add the bread to the pan and cook for about 45 seconds to 1 minute on each side. Monitor the bread closely as it will easily burn if left in the pan for too long. Once each side is golden brown and crispy, transfer the slices to a separate dish.

Open up garlic cloves and rub raw garlic onto the bread. Top with tomatoes, then freshly chopped basil. And that’s it.