Pan Con Tomate
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 to 6 servings
- 3 or 4very ripe medium tomatoes (about 1½ pounds)
- 1pint cherry tomatoes (about 12 ounces)
- 4 to 6large slices sturdy sourdough bread, about ½-inch thick
- 4 to 6garlic cloves, peeled
- Salt and pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Basil leaves, for garnish (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
282 calories; 6 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 49 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 10 grams protein; 597 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
Cut 2 tomatoes in half crosswise. Place a box grater in a shallow bowl and grate the tomato flesh from the cut sides, pushing through the large holes. You should have 1 cup or so of coarse tomato purée. Set purée aside, and discard tomato skins.
- Step 2
Cut remaining large tomatoes into ¼-inch slices. Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Set aside.
- Step 3
Toast the bread until nicely browned and crisp. (Toasting over a charcoal grill yields a rich, smoky flavor, but a toaster, toaster oven or broiler works just as well.)
- Step 4
With your fingers, rub the top of each toast with a garlic clove. You will see the cloves get smaller as the garlic is dispersed, pushed into the bread. (For a less garlicky toast, press lightly when rubbing.)
- Step 5
Place toasts on a platter or individual plates. Spoon and spread a heaping tablespoon of tomato purée over each toast. Then arrange tomato slices and cherry tomatoes randomly on top.
- Step 6
Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper and a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil per toast. Garnish with whole or torn basil leaves, if using.
Tip
- If you don’t want to bother with grating tomatoes, rub the toasted bread first with garlic, then with 1 or 2 halved tomatoes, until top surface is quite juicy, then continue with Step 6.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Michael
Two suggestions: Grate the top halves of all four tomatoes, saving the bottom halves for slicing. This has two advantages. The top half is easier to grate, because it is firmer and, if it has a piece of stem, that act as a handle. Also tomatoes ripen from the bottom up so the sliced bottoms will be more luscious. Use good country bread and toast it on only one side. The top, toasted side will provide the crunch, while the bottom, untoasted side will soak up the inevitable juice better.
Robert in Paris
It's true that tomatoes ripen from the bottom but when the tomato is ripe the whole fruit is ripe; if your tomatoes are not fully ripe, this is probably not the best recipe for them. To grate them, you don't really need a handle...you press the tomato against the grate with the heel of your hand and when you get to the grate, the skin of the tomato protects your hand. Finally, toasting on only one side leaves you vulnerable to a soggy result and tomato toast really does need crunch.
Despenjaporcs
If it's a Catalan traditional recipe, it's only fair to call it with it's true name: 'Pa amb tomàquet'. The only right way to do this is to rub the tomato straight onto the bread. If you're feeling fancy, toast the bread and rub it with garlic before the tomato. Finish it with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Adding more tomato on top is redundant and stupid, you better accompany it with cheese or cured meats.Red wine to wash it down. DO NOT PUREE!
Frank Bracq
Toasting the bread in olive oil using a pan makes this even better!
Hallie Blanchard
Agree with frank bracq that grilling the bread in olive oil in a frying pan works fabulously. I find best results using a smaller-diameter loaf, so that each piece of bread is rather small - when you bite into it, tomato bits inevitably go tumbling off so it works better as a two-bite piece. It’s not traditional, but you can make a meal of it by adding a very thinly sliced piece of manchego cheese on top.
Tamsen Wassell
Ahhh. the NYTimes has discovered pan de tomate! Well done, except here in Catalonia, one can: toast a great baguette or rustica, rub the garlic on the crusty bread first, then cut a ripe tomato in half (cherry tomatoes work just fine, the sweeter the better) and rub the open face on the bread. Before eating, drizzle a bit of olive oil on top. Always a side to delight..... kinda a fresh pizza.
J. Wong
If it's in Barcelona, it's pa amb tomàquet in Catalan.
Susan
I put the grated tomatoes in a strainer for a few minutes to drain off the watery bit. Keeps the bread from getting too soggy. Also, chives or oregano work as well as basil.
Westerner
Let your oven do the work for you. I put my bread slices on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil, and bake at 375 for about 15 minutes, turning once. At the same time I prep tomatoes, basil, and cheese. This is one of our favorite dishes to make in tomato season since it's so easy and delicious.
NKB
I add some burrata, an arugula salad and call it dinner on a hot summer night. A favorite of my teenagers!
dimmerswitch
Noting several comments of folks arguing - in the debate sense of the verb - the "only right way" to make a tomato toast is their Catalonian recipe made their way, I thought I'd simply weigh in on this recipe made this way. It is a splendidly simple to make and utterly luscious to eat celebration of fresh tomatoes in season. A glass of wine, this and it is "ahhh...some" meal or starter. There may be tomato toasts as good but I'd wager there are none better.
Alicia
We live in Barcelona and, while this recipe photo is beautiful, it's definitely not what Catalan tomato bread (pa amb tomàquet) ever looks like. Tomatoes here are always halved and rubbed directly onto the bread, and the result is light and delicious. Also, I've never seen basil used here with tomato bread. That seems much more like Italian bruschetta.
Dr Panda
Just a good old bruschetta, made appear difficult. I recommend adding fresh chopped basil leaves.
Don Ugent
We made it exactly as Mr. Tanis described and it was wonderful.
Despenjaporcs
To be honest with you, it never occurred to me before despite being a Catalan. It's not the traditional way but sure it's well worth giving it a try.
Angela
Question for the Catalonians and frequent visitors to the region who said pa amb tomàquet is always rubbed with tomato, never with grated or puréed tomato. I was just there and indeed had great pa amb tomàquet with the tomato rubbed directly on the bread, but I was also in several locations where there was a bowl of grated tomato passed around to spoon on the toasted bread available. Is that called something else? Thanks!
Sílvia de Quintana
Catalonia isn’t only Barcelona. I wouldn’t say this recipe comes from Barcelona, but from Catalonia, which includes Girona, Tarragona and Lleida. And, finally, we never ever add cuts of tomatoes nor cherry tomatoes on a ‘pan con tomate’. This is a huge mistake. ‘Pan con tomate’ is just a slice of bread, toasted or not, on which you rub half a tomato and put salt and olive oil after that. The other variation is rubbing first a garlic clove on a toast and rubbing afterwards thé tomato.
Gail
Yum. Perfect. I used farm fresh beefsteak tomatoes.
notes
Just big tomatoes; figure out garlic—didn’t work
Addie Lou
I used a quinoa sourdough from a local baker, toasted it up real nice and spread some shallot and chive boursin while still hot and made it melt. Skipped the tomato puree (honestly on accident) and used some lovely heirloom tomatoes. Topped with a sprinkle of salt and drizzle of green chili infused olive oil. No basil on hand but still lovely. Love this recipe.
Tom, 20 years in Catalunya
This is neither Pan con Tomate nor Pa amb Tomàquet. This is a New York slice with Velveeta-stuffed double crust and tofu.
Cag
It isn't a canonical recipe but a good approach. Adding tomatoe slices on top, it's simply to difficult the recipe and pretend to be fancier than anybody else.
AC
Good suggestion to add turmeric oil to yogurt. Stopped after the yogurt section. Great!
Scott M
If you have access to high-quality anchovies (if, say, you're residing in Catalonia or just north across the border in SE France), top each tomato bread piece with a filet. Divine.
Jennifer
I've been looking to recreate this Barcelona magic for many years. Nothing in tomato season compares. Thanks so much for this valuable recipe. So simple and so so good.
Dhw
How do you come up with so much protein in the nutrition tally? Tomatoes have virtually none and the bread is not whole wheat.
RogerC
It's the way the article explains the pa amb tomàquet. Normaly it's a slide of bread with scratched tomato, oil and a piece of jam or cheese. We usually do it for sandwich and garlic it's unusual,only in restaurants and BBQ celebrations
THE IslandGirl...Sharon
This was fantastic! I amped it up a bit for a cooler dinner by adding some crisp bacon crumbles and some balsamic glaze. Hubby just loved it!
LindaL
Awesome summer appetizer or light lunch.
Al
I learned this from a Spanish housemate who called it “Scratch Toast”
Holly
Delicious! Made for a quick supper for one. Heirloom tomatoes: grated one, sliced one. Made it garlicky and topped w the basil, salt, pepper, olive oil. Served with a glass of rose 🙏
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