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Bruschetta, the classic Italian appetizer featuring fresh tomatoes, basil, and garlic crostini, is a cinch to make at home in just 20 minutes. Pair this easy Bruschetta with any Italian entree and you’ll feel like you’re in a Roman restaurant (or your neighborhood trattoria!).
Table of Contents
Recipe Ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Baguette: This Bruschetta recipe starts with my toasted baguette recipe, just with extra garlic to complement the garlic in the tomato mixture. I recommend using a crusty French baguette, but a fluffier Italian baguette will work, too.
- Olive oil: Substitute 4 tablespoons melted butter for the olive oil on the garlic crostini if desired.
- Tomatoes: Use 2 medium tomatoes, 4 small or plum tomatoes, or about 12 cherry tomatoes.
- Fresh basil: To chiffonade, stack several basil leaves on a cutting board, then roll the stack of basil into a log. Working from one end of the log to the other, use a sharp knife to carefully slice ribbons of basil. Keep the tip of your knife in contact with the board and make a continuous cutting motion going forward.
Step-by-step instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange baguette slices in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush the slices evenly with olive oil, then bake until lightly toasted, about 15 minutes.
- Once cool, gently rub one side of each crostini with the peeled garlic.
- In a medium bowl, add tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
- Drain tomatoes, stir in basil and garlic. Drizzle with ¼ cup olive oil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Refrigerate to allow flavors to meld. Serve crostini topped with tomato mixture, or serve them separately for guests to top themselves.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This Bruschetta recipe makes about 10 appetizer portions.
- Storage: Store leftover tomato mixture covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Leftover toasted baguette slices can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
- Make ahead: Prepare the tomato mixture up to 1 day in advance. Store covered in the refrigerator.
- Topping remix: If you have any extra tomato mixture, try it over grilled chicken, scrambled eggs, or hummus.
- Sauce things up: For a little extra tang, drizzle with balsamic glaze.
Round out your Italian feast
30 Minute Meals
Chicken Piccata
Italian Recipes
Antipasto Salad
Bread Recipes
Focaccia
Cake and Cupcake Recipes
Tiramisu
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Bruschetta
Bruschetta, the classic Italian appetizer featuring fresh tomatoes, basil, and garlic crostini, is a cinch to make at home in just 20 minutes.
Ingredients
For the crostini:
- 1 baguette sliced on the bias into 1/4-inch slices (about 20 slices, see note 1)
- 1/4 cup olive oil (see note 2)
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
For the bruschetta:
- 2 medium tomatoes cored, seeded and diced (see note 3)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves chiffonade (see note 4)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
For the crostini:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange baguette slices in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Brush the slices evenly with olive oil. Bake until lightly toasted, about 15 minutes. Once cool, gently rub one side of each crostini with the peeled garlic.
For the bruschetta:
- In a medium bowl, add tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Drain tomatoes, stir in basil and garlic. Drizzle with ¼ cup olive oil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Refrigerate to allow flavors to meld. Serve crostini topped with tomato mixture, or serve a bowl of tomato mixture separately on a platter with crostini.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Baguette: This Bruschetta recipe starts with my toasted baguette recipe, just with extra garlic to complement the garlic in the tomato mixture. I recommend using a crusty French baguette, but a fluffier Italian baguette will work, too.
- Olive oil: Substitute 4 tablespoons melted butter for the olive oil on the garlic crostini if desired.
- Tomatoes: Use 2 medium tomatoes, 4 small or plum tomatoes, or about 12 cherry tomatoes.
- Fresh basil: To chiffonade, stack several basil leaves on a cutting board, then roll the stack of basil into a log. Working from one end of the log to the other, use a sharp knife to carefully slice ribbons of basil. Keep the tip of your knife in contact with the board and make a continuous cutting motion going forward.
- Yield: This Bruschetta recipe makes about 10 appetizer portions.
- Storage: Store leftover tomato mixture covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Leftover toasted baguette slices can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
- Make ahead: Prepare the tomato mixture up to 1 day in advance. Store covered in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Calories: 389kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 3gFat: 37gSaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 155mgPotassium: 93mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 237IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 26mgIron: 1mg
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Meggan Hill is the Executive Chef and CEO of Culinary Hill, a popular digital publication in the food space. She loves to combine her Midwestern food memories with her culinary school education to create her own delicious take on modern family fare. Millions of readers visit Culinary Hill each month for meticulously-tested recipes as well as skills and tricks for ingredient prep, cooking ahead, menu planning, and entertaining. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the iCUE Culinary Arts program at College of the Canyons.
