Spanish · Appetizer · Free recipe

Pan con Tomate

Name: Pan con Tomate
Yield: 8 small slices
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 8 slices rustic bread, 1.5 cm thick; 3 very ripe tomatoes (about 450 g); 1 garlic clove, halved; 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 1/2 tsp flaky salt, or to taste

Crisp bread, ripe tomato and olive oil: a simple Catalan-style table staple.

From the World Recipes at Home collection · BSIN · 21 October 2026

Jump to recipe ↓The Spain cookbook →

Active preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking: 5 minutes
Makes: 8 small slices
Additional time: None

Pan con Tomate from our Spain collection

At the table

A home-kitchen version.

Pan con tomate is built around toast, very ripe tomatoes, garlic and olive oil. It is not a cooked tomato sauce: the ripe fruit is used directly on the bread.

Choose bread thick enough to hold the tomato without collapsing. Assemble near serving so the surface stays crisp under the juicy topping.

The recipe

Pan con Tomate

Makes 8 small slices

Timings are guidance for the original amount. Allow extra time for additional batches, resting or chilling; follow the method and doneness checks.

Ingredients

8 slices rustic bread, 1.5 cm thick
3 very ripe tomatoes (about 450 g)
1 garlic clove, halved
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp flaky salt, or to taste

Equipment

toaster or grill, box grater

Allergen notes

Wheat; check bread labels.

Method

Choose ripe tomatoes. Halve the tomatoes across their middles. If they are soft enough, reserve the halves for rubbing directly onto the bread. Otherwise grate the cut sides into a bowl and discard the skins.
Toast the bread. Toast or grill until the surface is crisp and the centre still has a little give. Turn once if using a grill and watch closely so the edges do not burn.
Add a trace of garlic. Lightly rub one cut garlic surface over each warm slice. One or two passes are enough. Garlic is optional here and should not dominate the ripe tomato.
Apply the tomato. Rub a tomato half firmly onto each slice, leaving juice and pulp behind, or spoon over the grated tomato. Spread right to the edges without soaking the bread completely.
Finish simply. Drizzle the olive oil across the slices and add a little flaky salt. Taste one piece before seasoning the rest, especially if the bread itself is quite salty.
Bring to the table. Arrange in one layer and serve straight away. Make a second batch as needed instead of allowing a large platter to sit until the bread loses its crisp surface.

Use doneness checks rather than appearance alone. FoodSafety.gov temperature guidance.

Small details, better results

Before you cook

Use very ripe tomatoes; firm, under-ripe fruit does not rub into the bread in the same way.
Keep the toast and topping separate until close to serving.