Pan con Tomate (Tomato Bread)

Pan con tomate on a black plate with Spanish garlic shrimp and a tomato in the background.

5 from 7 votes

A delightful combination of toasted bread and fresh tomatoes, this easy Pan con tomate (Spanish Tomato Bread) is one of the most widely eaten dishes in Spain. It's perfect to serve tapas-style with saucy dishes like my Spanish Garlic Shrimp. Make this tasty dish in just 15 minutes!

Prep Time10

Cook Time5

Total Time15

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: Spanish

Servings:

Calories: 151kcal

Author: Dr. Sonali Ruder

Equipment

Ingredients

2 juicy, ripe tomatoes like beefsteak or heirloom
Flaky sea salt
1 loaf ciabatta bread or other thick, crusty loaf of bread
2 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cut the tomatoes in half and grate them over a bowl using a box grater. This will extract the pulp and separate it from the skin. Discard the skin. Season the tomato pulp to taste with a generous pinch of sea salt.
Slice the loaf of bread in half horizontally and cut it into 2-inch pieces. Place the pieces of bread on a baking sheet and brush them with olive oil. Place the baking sheet under the broiler for 2-3 minutes until the bread is toasted and lightly charred on the edges.
Rub the cut garlic cloves over the surface of the bread. Then, spoon the tomato pulp on top of the bread.
Drizzle olive oil on top and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Serve Pan con Tomate alone or with Spanish Garlic Shrimp.

Notes

Since this recipe only has a few ingredients, you want to use high quality ingredients. Use juicy, ripe tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, good bread, and flaky sea salt like Maldon sea salt.
I like to use a box grater for this dish- it makes it easier to extract the tomato pulp. If the pulp is very watery, you can strain out some of the water before spooning the pulp onto the bread.
If you prefer less tomato on your pan con tomate, you can cut the tomatoes in half and rub the tomatoes on the bread rather than grating them.
Serve the pan con tomate immediately so that the bread doesn't get soggy.

Nutrition