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Pan con tomate is the 5-ingredient Spanish tapas recipe that turns one ripe tomato into something amazing. Here’s how to get it crisp, never soggy.
Got a ripe summer tomato? Here’s one of my favorite ways in the world to use it: pan con tomate, a Spanish tapas recipe with only a few ingredients but immeasurably massive flavor.
As someone who’s lived in Spain, I’m particularly sentimental about the right ways to make this recipe. Take one bite and it’s like eating the pure soul of a tomato and all its memories of growing plump in the summer sun. This transcendental summer tomato recipe will make you a quick convert.
What Is Pan Con Tomate?
Pan con tomate translates to “bread with tomato,” a Spanish dish that consists of toasted bread topped with tomato pulp, garlic and olive oil. It’s served throughout Spain as tapas or a snack, and it’s especially common in Catalan cuisine where it’s called Pa amb tomàquet.
I personally fell in love with pan con tomate when I lived in Madrid in university, then again when I visited Spain recently. Many tapas-style restaurants have popped up in the US since then that have imported the concept. It’s important to honor the heritage of this incredible dish: Spanish cuisine, which has also brought us iconic dishes like paella, sangria, gazpacho, and more.
Pan Con Tomate Vs Bruschetta
They look similar, but for bruschetta (the American spin on an Italian concept), the bread is topped with diced tomatoes, minced garlic and basil.
For Spanish pan con tomate, you grate the tomato into pulp and rub the garlic clove directly across the toast.
The Best Tomatoes And Bread For Pan Con Tomate
Pan con tomate uses a few simple ingredients with no real cooking involved! One bite, and you’ll be happy dancing with the explosive flavors! As with any simple recipe, it’s dependent on quality of these two major players:
- Tomatoes. You want a big, heavy, ripe summer tomato. Beefsteaks and large heirlooms have enough flesh to grate into real pulp. You can’t use cherry tomatoes or even roma tomatoes here.
- Bread. A rustic baguette or crusty loaf with an open crumb is important here. Do not even think about using brioche, rye, and sandwich bread. I’d recommend something like a homemade no knead loaf, homemade sourdough bread, or a baguette.
How To Make Pan Con Tomate
Grill Or Broil The Bread
The bread for pan con tomate can be grilled or toasted in the broiler. Either way, spread the bread slices with a bit of olive oil and salt before cooking it. Here are the pros and cons to each method:
- Grilled bread: Grilled bread is very traditional and adds a charred flavor. This is best flavor-wise, but it does take time to preheat the grill.
- Broiled bread: Broiled bread doesn’t have a charred flavor, but it’s quick and easy in the broiler! Broiling gets it nice and crispy, with dark edges.
Grate The Tomatoes
How to get that beautiful tomato essence in pan con tomate? You’ll grate the tomatoes. Yes, grab a box grater and use the large holes to grate the tomato into a bowl. You’ll feel like you’re destroying it! But take one taste of the pulp, and it will make your tastebuds sing! Season it with a few pinches of kosher salt.
Rub The Bread With Garlic Cloves
The other key to pan con tomate is seasoning the bread with garlic. Unlike a bruschetta where you mince the garlic, with this Spanish tapas recipe you’ll rub the garlic right onto the toast.
- Peel the garlic and slice it in half.
- Take the cut side and rub it right onto the bread. You won’t see anything on the bread, and it will feel like you haven’t done anything. But one taste and you’ll see that it’s infused with the intoxicating aroma of fresh garlic!
Take one bite of pan con tomate, and it’s absolute magic: the crunch of the bread, the juicy tomato pulp, and the golden rich drizzle of olive oil. In fact, you may want to eat it every day.
What To Serve With Pan Con Tomate
This is a great starter, snack, or a full tapas spread:
- Alongside Spanish Paella Recipe or Easy Vegetarian Paella for a summer dinner party
- With a wedge of Spanish Tortilla (Tortilla Española) and a bowl of Marinated Olives
- As the opening act for Spanish Patatas Bravas, with a pitcher of Red Sangria
- Under a fried egg for breakfast
- Topped with jamón or shaved Manchego
- As part of a spread of 50 Easy Appetizer Recipes
Storage And Make-Ahead Notes
So here’s the thing: the tomatoes do make the bread soggy over time, so it’s best to eat this treat right away!
If you’re serving this as a tapas appetizer at a party, try to avoid letting it sit out on a table for hours. Pass it around or have people enjoy it right as it comes out of the kitchen. If you want to make it in advance, here’s what to do:
- Grate the tomatoes and refrigerate the pulp. Bring it to room temperature before serving.
- Toast the bread and assemble right before serving. You’ll want to keep that bread deliciously crunchy!
Dietary Notes
This pan con tomato recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free.
Pan Con Tomate
Pan con tomate is the 5-ingredient Spanish tapas recipe that turns one ripe tomato into something amazing. Here’s how to get it crisp, never soggy.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Grilled
- Cuisine: Spanish
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1/2 rustic baguette (8 slices)
- 2 large ripe tomatoes (1 pound)
- 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Grill or broil the bread: Cut bread into 1/2-inch slices cut on the bias. Place the slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil onto each slice, followed by a sprinkle of kosher salt. Grill the bread or broil it on high until the bread until toasted and crispy, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. (As a quicker method, you can use a toaster.)
- Grate the tomato: Meanwhile, use the large holes of a box grater to grate the tomatoes into a bowl, discarding the skins (you will get about 1 cup pup). Season the grated tomatoes with ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste.
- Serve: When the bread is done, rub each piece of bread with the cut side of the garlic (this will infuse a large amount of garlic flavor into the toast). Spoon the tomato pulp onto each slice. Top with a drizzle of olive oil and serve immediately. The bread becomes soggy after a few minutes, so top with the tomatoes directly before serving.
More Spanish Recipes To Try
If you’ve followed us for a while, you’ll know we love studying traditional Spanish recipes. Here are a few of our favorites to make at home:
- Make a big pan of Spanish Paella or Easy Vegetarian Paella
- Mix up a refreshing pitcher of Sangria
- Make traditional Spanish Tortilla (Tortilla Española)
- Try another classic tapas recipe, Spanish Patatas Bravas
Hi luv this, had it in Spain, & made it here in US but had forgotten about this method till I saw your site. Original bruschetta also just rubbed garlic on the grilled bread. Mincing the garlic is probably modern thing or an American thing. My Italian mother never minced garlic. She used it whole to infuse olive oil.