Pan Con Tomate

The beautiful simplicity of a Pan Con Tomate is what makes it so special. There’s nothing fancy about this dish at all. A simple preparation of slightly toasted Bread that’s rubbed with Garlic and then topped with fresh Tomatoes. Finished off with a drizzle of great quality Olive Oil and Salt and it’s done! This dish is a famous Spanish Tapas treat that’s enjoyed by millions. It’s light and refreshing flavors highlight the great quality of its ingredients, and it’s a perfect bite to enjoy to either kick off a meal, or to simply pair with your favorite glass of Wine during happy hour

What makes a Pan Con Tomate so special?

The accessibility of this wonderful appetizer is what makes it so great. It’s so easy to make that anyone can whip it up. It’ll be ready in just a few minutes, and the flavors are great. With all cooking, the flavors are going to be heavily reliant on the quality of the ingredients. This reliance is critical when it comes to Pan Con Tomate. As nothing in the dish is cooked, you will need to ensure that the quality of all ingredients are the best you can get for the tastiest result

While this dish can be enjoyed all year round, it’ll be at its peak when Tomatoes are at their ripest and most abundant. Typically, this will be in the warmer months of the year. So, even though Tomatoes can now be bought all year round at supermarkets, you’ll get the best flavors out of them during the late Spring and Summer

You can use any Tomatoes you like for this recipe, and I highly recommend you give a few a try to see which works best with your palate. A good Tomato is going to be slightly sweet and a little sour. Personally, I recommend using Heirloom Tomatoes which truly are the king of Tomatoes (especially when served raw). Rich in flavor and with a beautiful, meaty texture, Heirloom Tomatoes are a fantastic choice for this dish

Preparing the Tomatoes

Some recipes only require you to brush the Tomato flesh straight onto the bread until a thin layer of Tomato sticks to it. Personally, I’m not a fan of this approach as you don’t get that much Tomato on the Bread, and it will ultimately turn soggy

For the best results, Remove the seeds and core from the Tomatoes by slicing them first into quarters. Then, cut along the flesh to remove the skin, which is discarded. What you’ve got left is pure Tomato flesh, which taste amazing

Then, simply cut the flesh up with a sharp knife to the point that it almost turns into puree. There’s no need to use a food processor or anything like that, about 2 – 3 minutes of cutting will turn the Flesh into a wonderfully silky-smooth puree

You can use any bread, just make sure that it will crust up well when toasted

The ‘Pan’ in Pan con Tomate means ‘Bread’ in Spanish. Can you guess what Tomate means? Yep, it’s Tomatoes! Given Bread is in the title of this recipe, it’s important that you use the right type of Bread when making the dish

For our recipe we’re using store bought bread. To me, this is totally fine as you can get your hands on some delicious, fresh baked bread from your local bakery, or even the grocery store. It will also save loads of time. Making your own Bread from scratch is going to turn this 15 minute recipe into a multiple hour event

I found that a classic French Baguette or Sourdough Loaf works well when making Pan Con Tomate. The bread naturally has a crust outside and fluffy inside. When toasted, the Bread becomes super crusty, yet still enjoyable to eat. Oh, it’s also loaded with great flavors

Once hot and toasted, rub the Bread with fresh Garlic

This technique is a fantastic way to infuse a brilliant Garlic flavor to bread. All you need to do is peel a Garlic Clove and cut it in half. Grab the piece of Garlic and rub the exposed slice side all over the hot Bread. The Garlic flavor and aromas will infuse themselves to the bread. I recommend doing this as much as you can, as loading up the Bread with Garlic flavor will only add to the brilliant flavor of the dish

Then all that’s left to do is spoon on some of that beautiful almost-pureed Tomato straight onto the Bread. You don’t want the layer to be super thick, but add enough so that you can easily spread it all out to fully cover the Bread

To finish the dish, drizzle it with a generous amount of Olive Oil (don’t be shy!) and then sprinkle with Flaky Sea Salt. You can use regular Salt if you can, but I prefer the Flaky Sea Salt as it leaves the dish with a beautiful salty crunch

Pan Con Tomate Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. Fresh Tomatoes
• 2 Loafs of Sourdough Bread or French Baguette
• 4 Garlic Cloves, peeled
• 4 tbsp. Good Quality Olive Oil
• Flaky Salt
  
  

Instructions

1. Cut the Tomatoes into quarters and then remove the Seeds and core. Using a sharp knife, cut along the skin to remove the flesh. Discard Tomato skin and place the flesh on a large chopping board
2. Cut the Tomatoes finely until they turn into a paste-like consistency (should take about 2 – 3 minutes) then set aside
3. Cut the Loaves of Bread in half and then toast under the broiler or in a frying pan over medium heat until both sides are slightly charred and crusty (about 5 minutes in total)
4. Cut the Garlic Cloves in half and then rub the sliced part directly onto the hot bread. Do this until you can infuse as much Garlic flavor onto the Bread
5. Spoon a layer of Tomatoes onto the Bread and spread out to cover the entire slice. Cut Bread into pieces and finish by seasoning with a generous pour of Olive Oil and a sprinkle of Salt
   
   

Recipe Notes

• Cutting the Bread is optional, but makes for great bite-sized pieces to enjoy
• You can keep the Tomatoes a little chunkier if you prefer
  
  

This simple recipe for Pan Con Tomate is sure to please with its fresh flavors, beautiful aromas and crispy textures. It’s a perfect bite of food to enjoy with your favorite glass of wine in the sunshine. It’s also a great way to kick off a meal given how simple it is to prepare

For more great appetizers such as this one, check out these wonderfully tasty recipes of ours:

• Grilled Mackerel with Romesco Sauce
• Classic Beef Carpaccio
• Shrimp and Pork Wontons with Chili Shrimp Oil
• Salt and Pepper Squid
  
  

Happy Cooking!