Everything about Bruschetta just screams Summer! It’s light, fresh, and colorful. This is one of my favorite appetizers to prepare for summer picnics and parties. Bruschetta is great appetizer for any event any time of year as well.
The best part about this dish is that you can prepare the marinade ahead of time and top it on toasted bread right before you are ready to eat! Scroll down for my tried and true version of this classic appetizer recipe. VIDEO TUTORIAL included. 🙂
Bruschetta is also perfect for an Italian themed date night in. Pair it with your favorite pasta and you have yourself an amazing Italian meal!
I included Bruschetta as part of a Charcuterie Board inspired by menu items from the Cheesecake Factory for a Valentine’s Day date night in one year! My husband and I loved it! I hope you and your S/O love this idea as well. Let me know if you try it! 🙂
Bruschetta
Cuisine: Italian18
servings35
minutes10
minutes75
kcalToasted bread topped with a fresh and delicious tomato, basil, and balsamic based marinade
Ingredients
2 firm medium Roma tomatoes (finely diced)
A handful of basil leaves (thinly shredded)
1 clove garlic (finely minced)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp melted butter
1 small loaf Italian bread
Optional: grated mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Combine 2 firm, medium Roma tomatoes (finely diced) , a handful of fresh basil (thinly shredded), and 1 clove garlic (finely minced) in a mixing bowl.
- Add 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp balsamic vinegar, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp ground black pepper. Mix well.
- Let marinade sit for at least 30 minutes. (Note: I prefer to let it sit in the refrigerator, but you can let it sit outside as well.)
- Meanwhile, slice a small loaf of Italian bread into thin, even slices. ( Note: I usually get about 18 slices from one mini loaf.)
- Brush a bit of melted butter on each slice of bread.
- Spread out the buttered slices of bread in a flat baking tray. Bake for 5 min at 300 °F until the bread is lightly toasted. (Option: You can also toast bread on the stove or in a toaster oven. Either way, bread should become slightly crispy but not get too hard or burnt.)
- Top each slice of bread with about a spoon of the marinade.
- Optional: sprinkle a little bit of grated Mozzarella cheese on each slice of bruschetta for extra flavor! Enjoy! 🙂
Recipe Video
Notes
- Prep Marinade (5 min), Let Marinate (30 min), Bake Bread (5 min), Final Assembly (5 min)
- If you don’t have fresh Basil, you could use dried Basil.
- Instead of Italian bread, you could use a small loaf of French Bread instead.
- It is best to finely mince garlic by hand for this recipe instead of crushing it or using a paste.
- There are many versions of this recipe. This is my tried and true version that I came up with. I hope you love it!
- Vegan Option: Omit cheese or use Vegan cheese. Also, use Vegan butter or use olive oil instead of butter to toast the bread.
Did you make this recipe?
I hope you all try this recipe out! I would love to see your own adventures in cooking! Please take a pic and share them with me on Instagram/Facebook @chaitrascreations.
