Catalan and Spanish Tomato Bread Recipe (Pan Con Tomate) for a Beloved Tapas Favorite
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Bring a classic Catalan and Spanish combination to the dinner table with our tomato bread recipe (pan con tomate) for a Mediterranean snack that has heart, sweetness, and freshness in abundance.
Spanish Tomato Bread Recipe (Pan Con Tomate)
Bring some classic Mediterranean flavors into your home as part of tapas or a dinner spread with this simple yet hearty dish.
What is Pan Con Tomate?
Particularly associated with Catalan cuisine where it’s known as pa amb tomà quet, but also hugely popular throughout many Spanish regions, pan con tomate is a tapa dish consisting of slices of fresh or toasted bread, rubbed with tomato, and covered with a tomato mixture, olive oil, and salt.
Variations
Bread – In some variations, the bread is rubbed with the tomato first, and in some, it is rubbed with both garlic and tomato. The bread can also be freshly cut or toasted depending on region and preference, and traditionally a wheat bread known as pa de pagès, or ‘peasant’s bread,’ was used.
Tomato – While a variety of tomatoes can be used, in Majorca a specific type of on-the-vine tomato called Tomà tiga de Ramellet is used.
Toppings – While pan con tomate is delicious on its own, many restaurants will offer sides and extra ingredients to eat with the dish. These can include Iberian ham, anchovies, various marinated seafood, cheeses, and grilled vegetables, among others.
Recipe Ingredients
To make our pan con tomate recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Tomatoes – 2 medium tomatoes
- Garlic Cloves – 2 small garlic cloves
- Bread – 1 loaf of bread
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil – 2 tbsp
- Salt – to taste
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 – Toast or grill the bread slices, and then rub each of them with slices of garlic cloves.
Step 2 – Traditionally, the tomatoes are rubbed into the bread. This method works well if you have access to soft tomatoes such as Tomà tiga de Ramellet. If using this method, cut the tomatoes in half and rub the tomato flesh into the bread until most of the tomato flesh is on the bread and you’re left with just the tomato skin.
However, we prefer the method of grating the tomatoes and then spooning the contents over the bread.
If using this method, cut the tomatoes in half and grate them using a box grater on the side with the large shredding holes. Discard the tomato skins.
And then spoon the tomatoes over the bread.
Step 3 – Sprinkle some finishing salt on the tomato bread.
Step 4 – We finished our pan con tomate with a drizzle of olive oil, and then served as part of a Spanish-inspired tapas spread.
The glorious crunch of the toasted bread and the sweet, juiciness of the tomato spread are such a simple but satisfying combination.
Serving Suggestions
If you’re looking to experiment with the dish, take a look under ‘variations’ to see what toppings and sides are often served with pan con tomate. We tried it with anchovies, and it was truly delicious.
You can also try it with some classic tapa dishes, such as sliced Jamón Ibérico, patatas bravas, and other marinated seafood, such as sardines.
Spanish Tomato Bread Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 2 small garlic cloves
- 1 loaf of bread cut into thick slices
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Toast or grill the bread slices, and then rub each of them with slices of garlic cloves.
- Traditionally, the tomatoes are rubbed into the bread. If using this method, cut the tomatoes in half and rub the tomato flesh into the bread until most of the tomato flesh is on the bread and you’re left with just the tomato skin.
However, we prefer the method of grating the tomatoes and then spooning the contents over the bread. If using this method, cut the tomatoes in half and grate them using a box grater on the side with the large shredding holes.
Discard the tomato skins. And then spoon the tomatoes over the bread.
- Sprinkle some finishing salt on the tomato bread.
- We finished our pan con tomate with a drizzle of olive oil, and then served as part of a Spanish-inspired tapas spread.
Recipe Notes
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