Pan Con Tomate

Pan con tomate is a Spanish staple. It literally translates to “bread with tomato.” It is understated perfection. 

What is Pan Con Tomate

Spanish food is known for intricate small tapas and slow cooked recipes. The best recipes are the simple recipes that let the ingredients shine.  There is no better example of that than this. It is simply toasted bread with a mashed seasoned tomato spread.

If you go to Spain, you will find that this is served at every restaurant for every course. It’s light and fresh, and just the right amount of crunch. This is a recipe that you can make for breakfast, set as an appetizer at a dinner party or just make it your whole meal if you aren’t feeling like making something big but still want it to be delicious.

Tips to Keep in Mind

This recipe is really at its best when using fresh ingredients. Think about finding in season and ripe tomatoes, local artisan bread and olive oil meant for drizzling and finishing dishes. Great ingredients will elevate this humble dish into something that feels special and original. 

When making Pan con Tomate, keep the loaf whole and just slice it vertically before grilling. This helps keep the bread from becoming soggy because the crust on the bottom half won’t allow the tomato to soak through completely. You can top the tomato with other ingredients such as jamon iberico, sardines or cheese. 

One of the best ways to serve Pan con Tomate is to put all the components on a board. This way you can have all the things you need to assemble, but the bread can stay crunchy and you can pile on the tomato and douse it in an incredible local olive oil. Perfection. 

Try It With Some of Our Other Tapas Ideas

Pan Con Tomate

Recipe by Abuelas Cuban CounterCourse: AppetizersCuisine: SpanishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

5

minutes

Ingredients

• 2 heirloom or vine tomatoes, be sure they are very ripe

• 2 garlic cloves

• 1 loaf of rustic bread such as pan Gallego, ciabatta, baguette or any bread with a spongy interior and a thick crust

• Great quality extra virgin olive oil 

• Maldon finishing salt

Directions

• Using the large section of the box grater, grate the tomatoes. Set aside in a bowl. Discard the tough core. 
• Slice the bread lengthwise. Heat a large cast iron griddle to medium. Place the bread on the griddle and grill on each side for 3-5 minutes until the edges become a deep golden brown.  
• Remove from the heat and rub the interior pieces of the bread with the garlic cloves. You need to do this while the bread is still warm so the bread can absorb the flavor of the garlic. 
• Spoon over the grated tomato, drizzle with the oil and finish with freshly cracked pepper and Maldon salt. 
• Don’t let the pan con tomate set for too long. You want the bread to maintain a great crunch