Bruschetta Recipe

This Italian Bruschetta Recipe is made with our Italian Salsa and parmesan crostini. Our Italian salsa is a delicious mix of Roma tomatoes, arugula, fresh basil, kalamata olives, capers, shallot and garlic all tossed with olive oil and lemon juice. It’s bright and lemony and makes a delicious crowd-pleasing Italian appetizer for any occasion.

Our baguette bruschetta is made with simple fresh ingredients and it’s quick and easy to make.  We pretty much love everything about it! 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Flavors. This Italian Bruschetta is loaded with fresh flavors.
• Great For Entertaining. This is a fresh and flavorful appetizer to serve for any occasion.
• Simple To Make. This recipe is an easy one to make. Just pop the cheese toasts in the oven and toss the salsa together. When You’re ready to serve, spoon the salsa on top of the cheese toasts and sprinkle with shaved parmesan. It’s so simple and SO tasty! 

Tomato Bruschetta Recipe Ingredients

• French Baguette. Use a French baguette for the parmesan crostini. A day old baguette is usually easier to slice.
• Garlic AND Butter For Toasts. We add grated garlic to melted butter which gives the butter a rich garlic flavor. We brush melted garlic butter on the baguette slices before toasting them in the oven. And we add minced garlic to the tomato mixture.
• Parmesan Cheese. We sprinkle grated parmesan cheese on the buttered baguette slices. We also sprinkle shaved parmesan on the crostini as a finishing touch. 
• Roma Tomatoes. We like to use Roma tomatoes for bruschetta because they are firmer, less watery and have fewer seeds.
• Fresh Basil. Fresh basil adds fresh flavor.
• Arugula.  We absolutely love adding chopped arugula to our bruschetta. It adds color and a nice peppery flavor to the mix.
• Kalamata Olives AND Capers. We add chopped Kalamata olives and capers for a delicious salty flavor.
• Shallots.  We toss in a little minced shallots which adds another layer of flavor.
• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil. Use a good extra-virgin olive oil.
• Lemon Juice AND Zest. This gives the Italian Bruschetta a delicious bright, fresh lemony pop of flavor.
• Seasoning. We season this salsa with just a little salt and freshly ground black pepper. You can also add a little red pepper flakes if you want.

Find printable recipe with the measurements below.

How To Make Bruschetta

1. Make Cheese Toasts. Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice bread into 1/2″ thick pieces. Lay the bread slices on a baking sheet in a single layer. Blend the olive oil and garlic together so the garlic is well blended into the oil. Brush the oil on the baguette slices and sprinkle parmesan cheese on each piece of bread.  Bake in the oven for 3-5 minutes, or until the toasts are golden and crispy.
2. Prepare Italian Salsa. While the bruschetta toasts in the oven, dice the tomatoes, discarding the seeds and excess juice. Coarsely chop the arugula, and slice the basil into ribbons. Mince the kalamata olives, garlic and shallots. Toss the salsa ingredients together in a large bowl. Drizzle the olive oil, lemon juice and zest over the ingredients and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste test and add more lemon juice and zest if needed.  
3. Serve. 

Tips For Making The Best Italian Bruschetta

• Use Roma tomatoes for bruschetta instead of vine ripened tomatoes.
• Taste test and adjust the lemon juice, zest and olive oil as you like. If you’re serving this with warm crusty bread as an appetizer.
• Refrigerate the ingredients up to 1 hour before serving and then toss with the olive oil and lemon juice just before serving so the tomatoes, basil and arugula stay fresh and perky.

Best Tomatoes For Bruschetta

We like to use Roma tomatoes for bruschetta because they are firmer, less watery and contain fewer seeds. They also hold up a little better in the fridge than vine ripened tomatoes.

Storing Leftovers. 

Store the cheese toasts and Italian salsa separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. If properly stored, it should last up to 3 days. To reheat the cheese toasts, just pop them in a preheated oven for 2-3 minutes until warmed through. Or simply let the toasts sit out at room temperature for about 1 hour to take the chill off before topping with the salsa.

More Appetizer Recipes

• Marinated White Beans (this is also really delicious served with cheese toasts (bruschetta)
• Zucchini Fries
• English Muffin Pizza
• Chipotle Black Bean Dip
• Cranberry Baked Brie
• Spicy Tuna Dip

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Yield: 8 Servings

Bruschetta Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

This Italian Bruschetta Recipe is made with our Italian Salsa and parmesan crostini. Our Italian salsa is a delicious mix of Roma tomatoes, arugula, fresh basil, kalamata olives, capers, shallot and garlic all tossed with olive oil and lemon juice. It’s bright and lemony and makes a delicious crowd-pleasing Italian appetizer for any occasion.

Ingredients

For The Cheese Toasts

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• 1 baguette
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese

For The Tomato Bruschetta

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• 2 cups Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup arugula, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, cut into short ribbons
• 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, diced
• 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced or grated
• 3 tablespoons shallot, finely minced
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2-3 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 cup parmesan shavings for garnish

Instructions

For The Cheese Toasts

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice bread into 1/2" thick pieces. Lay the bread slices on a baking sheet in a single layer.
2. Blend the olive oil and garlic together in a stand blender so the garlic is well blended into the oil. Brush the oil on the baguette slices and sprinkle parmesan cheese on each piece of bread. Bake at 400°F in the oven for 3-5 minutes, or until the toasts are golden and crispy.

For The Tomato Bruschetta

1. Core and dice the tomatoes, discarding the seeds and draining excess juice. Coarsely chop the arugula, and slice the basil into short ribbons. Coarsely chop the kalamata olives, garlic and shallot.
2. Toss the ingredients together in a large bowl. Drizzle the olive oil, lemon juice and lemon zest over the ingredients and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste test and add more olive oil, lemon juice and zest if needed. Transfer to a serving bowl.
3. Arrange the cheese toasts on a serving dish or platter, place the bowl with the tomato mixture on a serving dish or platter (along with a serving spoon) and arrange the cheese toasts around the bowl. Spoon the tomato mixture over the toasts and garnish with parmesan shavings.

Notes

Tips For Making The Best Italian Bruschetta

• Use Roma tomatoes for bruschetta instead of vine ripened tomatoes.
• Taste test and adjust the lemon juice, zest and olive oil as you like. If you’re serving this with warm crusty bread as an appetizer.
• Refrigerate the ingredients up to 1 hour before serving and then toss with the olive oil and lemon juice just before serving so the tomatoes, basil and arugula stay fresh and perky.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 375Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 9gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 1168mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 16g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.