Pan Con Tomate Recipe (Spanish Bruschetta)
on May 09, 2016, Updated Oct 15, 2026
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Pan con tomate makes a perfect easy appetizer or snack. You could say it’s like the Spanish version of bruschetta. It’s so simple, made with just fresh crusty bread, grated tomatoes, garlic, extra virgin olive oil and salt in around 10 minutes.
So easy but so tasty!
If I had to sum up this pan con tomate recipe (you could call it Spanish bruschetta!), I’d say that it’s far far tastier than the sum of its parts. For something with so few ingredients – just toasted bread slices, good tomatoes, garlic, salt and loads of olive oil – it’s mind-blowingly good.
If you’ve ever been to Spain, you’ll already know that you can get pan con tomate in pretty much any cafe. It’s a really popular snack, and I’ve never had a bad one on my numerous trips to Spain. This suggests to me that you can’t go wrong if you make it yourself!
The most important thing if you give this a go is to use the very best ingredients you can find. Because there are only a few, they’re all the stars of the show. So get freshly made Mediterranean-style bread that you love (ciabatta or French baguette is fine), try to find big, juicy, in-season tomatoes, and a really good quality olive oil.
Pay particular attention to that olive oil, because you’re going to drizzle quite a bit of it all over those delicious squished tomatoes.
📌Recipe snapshot
- Prep: 5 minutes
- Cook: 5 minutes
- Serves: 2 (as an appetizer), or more as smaller canapés
- Key ingredients: juicy & ripe tomatoes; Mediterranean-style bread, extra virgin olive oil, a small garlic clove, salt
- Why you’ll love this: 10-minute recipe; just 5 simple ingredients; authentic Spanish recipe; surprisingly delicious and impressive
About the ingredients
You’ll find a full list of ingredients with amounts in the recipe card below. But here’s a summary of what you need to know.
- Tomatoes: The riper, juicier and tastier the better, making this a perfect recipe for summer. If you use flavorless tomatoes, this snack will not be nearly as delicious. I would go for medium to large sized tomatoes so that they’re easier to grate. And if you happen to have lots of ripe tomatoes, I also highly recommend trying this Greek strapatsada (scrambled eggs) recipe as well!
- Fresh crusty bread: I like to use small slices of European style bread to make pan con tomato. Ciabatta, sourdough, baguette, or another rustic country loaf are all good options. You want bread with a crusty exterior and a chewy crumb that can soak up some of the juicy tomato and olive oil without getting too soggy.
- A small garlic clove: You’ll cut the garlic in half and rub it onto the hot toasted bread. Since the garlic isn’t cooked you’ll only need the one small clove for plenty of flavor.
- Extra virgin olive oil: The olive oil really adds to the flavor of this simple recipe, so I recommend using a good quality, flavorful extra virgin olive oil. A recent harvest from the latest local season and sold in a dark colored bottle can be a good sign of quality!
- Salt: A small sprinkle simply helps to enhance the other flavors.
- Fresh basil: This is entirely optional, but if I have them I like to scatter over a few fresh basil leaves.
How to make pan con tomate
There really are just a few simple steps involved to make this delicious homemade version of Spanish tomato bread.
The first thing to do is to grate the tomatoes. Don’t worry, it’s easier than it might sound! You just slice each tomato in half, then rub it through a grater (standing in a bowl) with the palm of your hand. You’ll end up with squished pulp that looks a bit like a simple tomato sauce. Just like magic, the skin will be left quite neatly in your hand.
Just like this:
Once you’ve got your tomato pulp, there’s hardly anything else to do. You literally just grill or broil your bread on both sides, drizzling a little olive oil over before you cook the second side.
Then, you cut a garlic clove in half and rub the cut side lightly over the bread. Pile on the tomato pulp, grind over plenty of salt, and finally drizzle with more olive oil (don’t miss this part out).
I like to finish with a few leaves of basil, but that’s totally optional.
Helen’s Top Tips
- Do try to use good quality ingredients – so ripe, juicy tomatoes, fresh garlic and extra virgin olive oil in a dark bottle. It really makes a difference since the recipe is so simple.
- When you pile the tomato pulp onto the bread, leave behind any excess water. This way the toasts will be nice and juicy, but won’t go soggy.
- I recommend serving your tomato bread immediately, while the bread is still warm and crisp.
- If you don’t have a grill or broiler, simply toast the bread in a toaster, or even in a hot griddle or frying pan.
How to eat it
The Spanish eat this bruschetta for breakfast, which might seem strange, but believe me – enjoying one or two of these and a good café con leche (coffee with milk) at a pavement café in the sunshine can’t be beaten!
But let’s assume that you’re not in the Mediterranean. You’re at home, wherever in the world that may be. These are still GREAT – as a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack for yourself, or as a really simple canape or appetizer for guests.
You can also serve it as tapas, alongside olives, cheese, and cured ham or prosciutto. Or enjoy it with eggs for breakfast.
If you’d like to serve this recipe tapas style, along with a few more easy appetizer style dishes, here are a few ideas:
- crispy halloumi fries (try them once and they’ll quickly become a favorite!)
- easy chicken meatballs (air fryer or oven)
- Spanish omelette (another Spanish classic that you just have to try)
More bruschetta style recipes
Pan Con Tomate Recipe (Spanish Bruschetta)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 really good quality medium tomatoes, or 1 large
- 4 slices of Mediterranean-style bread*
- extra virgin olive oil, good quality
- 1 small garlic clove
- salt
- fresh basil, optional
Instructions
- Cut the tomatoes in half, then grate them coarsely into a bowl with a box grater by rubbing the cut side against the grater with the flat of your hand. Continue until you’re left with just the skin.2 really good quality medium tomatoes
- Grill or broil the bread on one side, then drizzle a little olive oil over the other side and grill or broil that side too.4 slices of Mediterranean-style bread*, extra virgin olive oil
- Lightly rub the top of each piece of bread with the cut side of half the garlic clove.1 small garlic clove
- Pile the tomato pulp onto the bread (leaving behind any excess water), sprinkle with salt, drizzle with more olive oil and scatter over a few basil leaves (if using). Serve immediately while the bread’s still warm.salt, fresh basil
Ingredients list one small garlic. Don’t see it mentioned in the prep
Hi Pat! Oops, sorry! You rub the cut side of half of a clove of garlic lightly onto each slice of bread before you pile on the tomatoes (because the garlic’s raw it can be pretty strong which is why you only rub it fairly lightly). I’ll add it to the recipe instructions!
Made too many of these ‘pan de tomate’ for a small dinner party. Big hit. Make by hand with grater to get proper consistency. Low tech, but just wrong any other way.
Will use the few pairs of leftovers for breakfast warmed with poached eggs on top. Scrumptious or what?
Agreed! I absolutely love these. So simple and yet so delicious. Love your idea of adding eggs!
In fact, it isn’t a Spanish dish, it is typical from Catalunya and it’s called “pa amb tomata”. We do it by cutting a tomato in halves and rubbing it directly on the bread, then a bit of olive oil and that’s it! Bon profit!
Thanks for the interesting info, Marta. I’ve eaten it in Catalunya but I didn’t know it came from there! In any case, it’s delicious!
J’adore le “pan con tomate” ! Quand je vais en Espagne j’aime bien le mangé pour l’apéro. Mon père et mon mari adorent cette recette pour le petit déjeuner. En tout cas, c’est simple et tellement bon à n’importe quel moment de la journée.
Moi, je l’adore a n’importe quelle heure! 🙂
This looks DELISH Helen, I’m seriously craving bruschetta right now! I love how simple food can taste so good!
Thanks, Denise – you have to try this. It’s a classic example of simple food tasting good!
Wow, for such a simple recipe, the flavors look fantastic!! Great suggestion, Mr. Scrummy! This is a must try!
I thought you might approve of a simple Mediterranean recipe!
I haven’t had Spanish bruschetta yet, but just looking at it I can’t wait to try it! Looks amazing! Love simple European recipes like this one! Pinned!
Thank you, Mira! 🙂
Funny that you posted this, I actually just came here to compare how you make your Greek salad to the way I make it and I was saying to Meggan that I love how you’re becoming my “go to” for Mediterranean recipes and this is your latest post! Love this, not many people know about Spanish Bruschetta, I adore it! N x
Awww, that’s such a lovely thing to say – thank you! You’re my go-to for many, many things!! (but especially your one-pot salmon meals!)
I absolutely love pan con tomate! There’s something about the tomatoes, oil and crunchy bread that tastes SO good! 😀 I’ve only ever ordered it though, but I’m really inclined to make it now that I know it only takes 10 minutes!
Hope you do give it a go, Lorraine – you’ll make it again and again!
Love this Spanish bruschetta recipe, Helen! Looks delicious! 🙂 I usually eat this most days for breakfast ever since I first tried it in Mallorca a few years ago. Can’t wait to try this bruschetta and make your halloumi fries again!
Really – you eat this every day? I should do that too – it’s just so delicious, I could easily eat this every day too!
Such a simple dish indeed – but these Spanish bruschetta sound so delicious – I’ve gotta put this on my list of weekend brunch eats to tr. I have to admit, Helen, tomato skin isn’t my favorite – so I am so loving that the pulp only is used in these!
This is just perfect for tomato skin-haters, Shashi! 😉
Who’d have thought tomatoes on bread could be so good? And it is! I am drooling over this dish at 7:30am before my breakfast. Great recipe.
Breakfast is the perfect time to drool over it (and eat it!) 🙂
It’s so beautiful, I want some!!!!
Hi Amy – so happy it had this effect on you!
The simple recipes of Europe are always my favorite. With just a handful of ingredients you can go from boring to amazing in one quick sweep. So, did you go running with bulls in Spain? Spain is on my culinary bucket list.
You’ve summed it up perfectly, Bam – from boring to amazing!
You are so right! For something with such few ingredients, this bruschetta certainly packs flavor! I remember making bruschetta in a cooking class I took while going to school in Italy (also many moons ago) ;), and it’s so amazing how delicious something so simple can be! I’ve never tried grating the tomatoes to get the pulp – what a fabulous idea! Definitely trying it this way next time!
Do give this way a go, Kathleen – it works really well. That cooking class you went to sounds wonderful – would love to do something like that!