Pan con Tomate

Pan con Tomate

The ultimate Spanish tapa — thick slices of rustic bread rubbed with garlic, drenched in grated ripe tomato, finished with good olive oil and flaky salt. Simple, honest, and completely irresistible. This is the dish that proves the best food needs almost nothing at all.

4 servings · Prep 10 min · Cook 8 min · Total 18 min

Spanish · Appetizer · Bread

  • 8 slice rustic country bread or sourdough cut about 3/4-inch thick
  • sourdough
  • 2 cloves garlic halved crosswise
  • 4 medium ripe tomatoes halved crosswise
  • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil good quality, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 tsp flaky sea salt such as Maldon or fleur de sel
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper freshly ground
  • 4 slice jamón ibérico or serrano ham draped over the finished toast
  • serrano ham
  • 0.25 cup anchovy fillets oil-packed, drained
  • 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley roughly chopped, for garnish

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Stovetop
  • Baking Sheet
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Broiler
  • Pastry Brush
  • Knife
  • Jelly Roll (10x15)
  • Tongs
  • Mixing Bowl (4 Quarts)
  • Grater

Instructions

  1. Position your #[Oven] rack about 4 inches from the ^[broiler] element and preheat the ^[broiler] to ^[high]. Arrange the @[Rustic Country Bread] slices in a single layer on a #[Baking Sheet]. Brush or drizzle both sides lightly with about 1 tablespoon of the @[Extra-Virgin Olive Oil].
  2. ^[Broil] the @[Rustic Country Bread] for ~[2–3 minutes] per side, watching closely, until each slice is deeply golden and crisp at the edges with some char spots. Remove from the ^[broiler] and let cool just enough to handle.
  3. While the @[Rustic Country Bread] is still warm, firmly rub the cut side of a halved @[Garlic] clove all over one side of each toast — the rough, toasted surface acts like a grater and the @[Garlic] melts right in. Use as much or as little @[Garlic] as you like; one clove half per slice is traditional.
  4. Halve the @[Tomato] crosswise. Working over a #[Mixing Bowl] or directly onto the toast, press the cut side of a @[Tomato] half firmly against the @[Rustic Country Bread] and rub in circular motions, squeezing gently so the pulp and juice soak into the toast. Discard the spent @[Tomato] skin. Repeat for all slices — you want the @[Rustic Country Bread] visibly saturated with @[Tomato].
  5. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of @[Extra-Virgin Olive Oil] generously over all the toasts. Finish with a pinch of @[Flaky Sea Salt] and a crack of @[Black Pepper] on each slice. Serve immediately as-is, or top with @[Jamon Iberico], @[Anchovy Fillets], or fresh @[Italian Flat-Leaf Parsley] for a more substantial tapa.