Italian Bruschetta Recipe

Summer could never be complete for me without my favorite appetizer of all time. Bruschetta is pronounced "broo-SKET-tah" (see here) and is typically made with Italian plum tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar and basil. I decided to make ours today from our beefsteak tomatoes that have ripened up in the garden, and they were just perfect.

Here's my recipe for Italian bruschetta.

Bruschetta with Garden Ripe Tomatoes and Sweet Basil

Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 4 servings 

Serving Size: 3 slices of toast

Ingredients

• 3-4 red, ripe tomatoes, diced. The riper, the better!
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 5-6 sweet basil leaves, shredded
• 2 Tbs. grated parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
• a dash of salt and pepper
• 1 loaf of good Italian bread, thinly sliced and toasted

Directions

Stack the basil in a pile.

Start by dicing your tomatoes and placing them in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Next, chop your garlic and basil.

Want to know a great trick to easily shred your basil? Stack the leaves on top of one another and roll them up like a cigarette. Then slice the roll into thin slivers.

Roll and slice!

Combine tomatoes, garlic, basil, parmesan, olive oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper in bowl and stir. Cover and chill in fridge. You want to give it enough time for all the flavors to come together nicely. I'd say at least 30 minutes, but I can never wait that long!

Meanwhile, slice your loaf of bread in 1/4 inch slices. Do yourself a favor and get a loaf of real Italian bread, or as close as you can get to the real thing. I usually try not to eat too many carbs, so when I indulge, I want to make it worth my waistline.

When you're ready to serve, lightly toast each slice. Place a spoonful of your tomato mixture upon each slice of toast...è pronto, it's ready!

Buon Appetito!

Hannah giving us the good old Italian gesture for "Delicious!"