Served at breakfast, lunch, dinner and as a Spanish tapa, this tomato bread is found in virtually every household and on every menu
Prep Time: 15 mins Total Time: 15 mins Serves: 6 servings
Ingredients: Resource from acommunaltable.com
1 loaf ciabatta bread sliced horizontally
6 tomatoes grated
2 garlic cloves
6 ripe tomatoes grated
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
Preparation:
Slice the ciabatta bread horizontally and cut each slice into thirds for a total of 6 slices. Place on a baking sheet.
Using a box grater, grate the tomatoes over a bowl.
Place the ciabatta bread under the broiler and broil for 1 - 2 minutes until the bread is toasted.
Remove the bread from the broiler and rub with a garlic clove (if using).
Spoon the tomatoes on the bread, dividing evenly between the bread slices.
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
NOTES:
Bread: You want to use an artisanal bread for this tomato bread. Ciabatta is an excellent choice and an artisanal baguette also works. The key is to use bread with large holes that isn't very dense!
Tomatoes: Pan Con Tomate is really about the tomatoes so use the juiciest and best-tasting tomatoes you can find! In terms of types, just about any tomato variety works. If you are using romas, however, you will probably need 7 or 8 to get enough tomato pulp for the bread! If you can't find really good fresh, ripe tomatoes you can use high quality (San Marzano) canned tomato. I would recommend crushed tomatoes for this but if all you have is whole or diced, either chop them up or pulse in a blender or food processor.
Olive Oil: Use the best quality olive oil you have or can find for this tomato bread.
Other Toppings: I love Pan Con Tomate all by itself but... you can easily add other toppings to this tomato bread. Smoked fish, cooked shrimp, roasted vegetables all would be terrific served on this tomato bread.
What to serve with Pan Con Tomate: You can serve this tomato bread with eggs for breakfast, alongside a salad for lunch, or as part of a tapas spread.