Pan con tomate (pa amb tomàquet) is a popular Catalan tapa dish made with crusty bread, tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and salt. Prepared in just minutes and with fresh, high-quality ingredients, this tomato bread is both humble and incredibly delicious.
Prepare the bread. Slice it into thick pieces (if using ciabatta, I recommend slicing each toast around 2-inches wide). If you want to toast it, you can do so in a toaster oven for smaller amounts, or brush with a bit of olive oil and place in a broiler until browned and crisp for larger amounts.
Use a peeled garlic clove to rub each slice of bread. Use as much or as little as preferred. I recommend 1/2-1 clove per tomato toast.
Slice your tomato in half and rub/squeeze it over the bread to deposit the pulp (not the skin) directly onto the bread.Alternatively, if making a large amount or using tomatoes that aren’t tender enough to easily rub over the bread, I like to make the tomato pulp topping with the large holes on a box grater. First, cut each tomato in half and then -with your palm flat), rub it over the box grater. When you grate tomatoes, you’ll remove the pulp while also separating out the tomato skin. You can then spoon it onto the bread.
Drizzle the tomato toast with the extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of flaky salt, and then enjoy!
How Make Ahead and Store?
Once assembled, it’s best to eat the pan con tomate as soon as possible, before the bread becomes soggy.If you prepare/d a separate bowl of tomato topping, this can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, then added to the bread as needed.
Notes
Use high-quality ingredients: the entire tomato bread recipe requires just 5 ingredients, so make sure they’re high quality. Use ripe, in-season summer tomatoes, high-quality olive oil, and crusty hearty fresh bread!
Use the right bread: the pulpy tomato topping is wet and relies on sturdy bread to stand up to it rather than become soggy/fall apart.
If your tomato is too wet/seedy: I recommend using a box grater to grate the tomato into a bowl and then, if very liquidy, strain it through a sieve until you reach your desired consistency. You can save the liquid to add to juices, sauces, soups, vegetable stock, etc.
Enjoy this dish quickly: once assembled, pan con tomate is not the type of dish you want sitting around for hours as the tomatoes will seep into the bread and turn it soggy.
When serving a large party/event: you may prefer to set out a bowl of the tomato pulp alongside a large platter of toasted bread, some olive oil, and a bowl of salt. That way, guests can assemble their own tomato toast in seconds, and you don’t risk the bread becoming soggy.
Check the blog post for more optional add-ins, recipe variations, and toppings!