A tapas spread isn’t complete without pan con tomate. Translating directly to “bread with tomato,” this iconic Spanish staple is as simple as its name. With a few humble ingredients, you can make this savory snack to serve at your next gathering.

To make pan con tomate, you simply need to grate tomatoes and mix in the rest of the ingredients. While it seems like a non-recipe, the ratio of tomato, oil, and garlic can make or break your tomato toast.

Pan con tomate is a great appetizer for any occasion, not just tapas night. Serve it with a slab of Manchego cheese and slices of jamón Serrano to make it extra special and Spanish.

The Bread

The best bread to use is ciabatta. Cut a loaf into two large pieces lengthwise, then slice those into manageable, handheld strips. Ciabatta is typically easy to find in the bakery section of your local grocery store. Also, Trader Joe’s sells a great prepackaged loaf in the bread aisle.

In a pinch, a baguette can also be used, but the wider, airier crumb of ciabatta is best for this dish.

The bread should be lightly toasted and stay somewhat soft so you can easily bite into it.

Tomatoes: Go Big or Go Home

There’s no doubt that tomatoes taste better in the summer, but pan con tomate can be enjoyed year-round. While you should always reach for high-quality, in-season produce when you can, it’s okay to use basic slicer tomatoes since they’re getting dressed up with oil, garlic, and salt.

The type of tomato isn’t as important as the size. You’ll want a large beefsteak or slicer tomato rather than a small Roma or cherry tomato. Smaller varieties of tomato won’t work because they are too small to grate on.

If you don’t have a box grater, you can use a food processor and pulse it slowly.

Print Recipe

Pan con Tomate

Toast with tomato

Total Time15

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: spanish

Keyword: appetizer, heirloom tomatoes, pan con tomate, snack, tapa, tapas, tomato toast, tomatoes

Servings: 10 pieces

Ingredients

1 loaf ciabatta bread
4 large tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves
2 tsp salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cut 1 loaf ciabatta bread in half lengthwise, as if you were splitting it open like a book. This gives you two large, flat surfaces with the fluffly part of the bread exposed.
Put the ciabatta in the oven for about 10 minutes until it's lightly toasted.
Meanwhile, grate 4 large tomatoes using a box grater into a bowl. Choose the side with the largest holes. If you don't have a box grater, you can pulse the tomatoes in a food processor, but pulse slowly so it doesn't turn out too watery.
Grate 2 garlic cloves directly into the bowl of grated tomatoes.
Add 2 tbsp olive oil and 2 tsp salt.
Taste the tomato mixture to see if it is to your liking or if it needs anything else, like more salt.
Place the toasted ciabatta on a cutting board when you take it out of the oven.
Slather the toast with the tomato mixture.
Cut the toast into handheld strips and serve.