Tomato Basil Bruschetta

Classic Tomato Basil Bruschetta with Homemade Pesto is a seriously delicious simple appetizer with fresh flavor! This homemade pesto makes this best bruschetta I’ve ever had!

Growing up, my mom had a beautiful garden and grew fresh tomatoes every year.  She would eat panzanella salads every day for lunch with a simple drizzle of olive oil and red wine vinegar.  I’d always manage to sneak a few bites without her noticing.  Fresh tomatoes from your garden are the best things about summer! 

After culinary school, I worked at a small Italian restaurant in my home town.  On the weekends, I would come in around 8 am and make the tiramisu in huge batches.  I’d make 8 trays at a time and they’d freeze them and cut as needed.  During the week I would work the hot table or do apps, or really any odd job around the restaurant. 

I fell in love with the classic tomato bruschetta at my restaurant.  In my opinion, there’s no better appetizer than a really good crusty bread and some fresh tomatoes and basil.   Although there are so many different variations these days, I feel like the classic is still the best.  I always use a homemade pesto when I can, because it just makes this appetizer that much better, but store bought is fine.  

If you’re a garlic lover like I am, after your bread is toasted, slice a large clove of garlic in half and rub it on the hot bread.  This is such a super easy snack that you can make in a flash and it will really impress your guests.  This is my favorite bruschetta recipe of all time! Let’s make this easy appetizer!

What do you need to make tomato bruschetta?

The word bruschetta directly translates from the Italian word bruscare, which means ‘to toast’.  Traditional bruschetta similar to the one we’re making today  is composed of toasted Italian bread drenched in olive oil and served typically with garlic or tomatoes.  I’m adding some fresh basil and a little bit of basil pesto to my version today. So you’ll need:

Crusty bread, cut into thick slices – my favorite to use is a french bread or Italian baguette (you can read about the differences here)

Room temperature Tomatoes – choose ripe red tomatoes, either cherry tomatoes sliced in quarters, or diced roma tomatoes of your choice.

Garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a microplane

Basil, cut chiffonade (set some aside for garnish)

Extra Virgin Olive oil

Salt + Black Pepper

Sugar

Homemade basil pesto (store bought is also fine, I prefer Kirkland brand)

Goat cheese or Parmigiano Reggiano

A baking sheet

Start by combining the chopped tomatoes, garlic, basil, sugar, salt and pepper in a large bowl and set aside on the counter for at least 20 minutes. The flavors will taste best if the ingredients are able to marinate for a bit and really develop.

After the tomatoes have marinated for a bit, slice the baguette in 1/2″ wide slices and on an angle like this.

Preheat the oven to 400 (or if you’d like, you can grill your bread on an outdoor grill for those beautiful grill marks and extra flavor). Put your bread slices on a baking sheet toast baguette slices until golden brown. Drizzle with olive oil and slice a clove of garlic in half and rub the cut side on each toast.

Top each toast with a spoonful of basil pesto, goat cheese or freshly grated parmesan (if desired), and tomato basil mixture. Garnish with basil chiffonade and serve!

FAQ and Expert tips

Can you make bruschetta in advance?

I absolutely encourage making the bruschetta tomatoes in advance, as I mentioned above. The flavors get better, and it saves some time if you’re having guests over. You can even toast the bread in advance and store in an airtight container so it doesn’t harden too much. Wait to assemble the slices until just before guests come over. You’ll end up with soggy bruschetta the longer it sits, so keep that in mind when menu planning!

Other additional toppings

These delicious add-ons would be great on the classic tomato basil bruschetta

• Fresh mozzarella
• Balsamic glaze

Other recipes to try

Roasted strawberry bruschetta – an elegant appetizer that is fresh and vibrant! Juicy roasted strawberries, creamy ricotta cheese layered on a crunchy baguette slice. An appetizer is perfect for summer entertaining!

Chicken Pesto Pasta – This chicken pesto pasta is the perfect weeknight meal! It on the table in under 20 minutes. You can make it with homemade or store bought pesto!

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