Pan con tomate – Catalan tomato toast Recipe
Pan con tomate is a simple Catalan breakfast: crusty bread rubbed with ripe tomato and garlic, then drizzled with olive oil. In Barcelona you’ll find it almost everywhere – from bars to home tables. It’s like a cross between our tomato toast and bruschetta, but even simpler and more raw in flavor.
This is one of the most iconic Catalan dishes: incredibly simple, based on just a few ingredients, yet full of flavor if you use good bread, ripe tomatoes, and quality olive oil. It perfectly shows how Mediterranean cuisine can turn everyday products into something memorable.
Chef's tips
Use the best tomatoes you can find – very ripe, juicy ones make all the difference. Slightly stale bread works better than fresh, as it toasts more evenly and absorbs the tomato without falling apart. Don’t skip the salt: it brings out the sweetness of the tomatoes and the aroma of the olive oil.
How to serve
Serve pan con tomate on a large platter so everyone can help themselves. It pairs wonderfully with Spanish cheeses, olives, and a simple green salad. For brunch, add a Spanish omelette (tortilla de patatas) and fresh orange juice.
Ingredients
- wheat bread preferably country-style or baguette, slightly stale - 4 slices
- tomatoes ripe, medium-sized - 2 piece
- garlic cut in half - 1 clove
- olive oil good quality, for drizzling - 3 tablespoons
- salt or to taste - 0.25 teaspoons
- serrano ham optional, for serving - 4 slices
Preparation
- Set the oven to grill function or the highest temperature. Arrange the bread slices on a baking tray.
- Toast the bread for 3–5 minutes, until golden and crisp on top but not burnt. You can also use a toaster or a grill pan.
- Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise. Prepare the garlic clove cut in half.
- Rub the hot bread slices with the cut side of the garlic – gently, so you don’t overdo the intensity.
- Next, vigorously rub each slice with the cut tomato so that the flesh and juice soak into the bread while the skin stays in your hand (discard the skin).
- Drizzle the toasts with olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
- If using serrano ham, place one slice on each piece of bread. Serve immediately while the bread is still warm and crispy.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
I fell in love with pan con tomate in small Barcelona bars, where it appears on the table almost automatically. At home it has become my go-to way to use up slightly stale bread and overripe tomatoes – it’s quick, satisfying, and always tastes like holidays in Spain.
