The Best Tomatoes For Bruschetta All Share A Common Trait

Bruschetta is a true Italian comfort. The warm, toasted bread boosts the flavor of tomatoes, olive oil, and seasoning. This dish is a crowd-pleaser as an aperitivo or antipasto, and it takes little effort to prepare one as tasty as the one from your favorite Italian restaurant. To create a delicious and quick bruschetta, you'll want to start by selecting the right kind of tomatoes.

Overripe tomatoes are ideal for bruschetta because they're extra soft, allowing you to crush them for a smooth texture. It's easy to tell the ripeness by looking for a complete red skin — no green spots — and just a bit of give when squeezed. You'll want to use a tomato species with a full body and less seed and water content. Roma tomato varieties are ideal for bruschetta (and most other Italian recipes) for their bright flavor and thick body. Beefsteak tomatoes are another great choice for their similar qualities. Whichever you choose, they should all reach a mature ripeness (not to the point of expiration) before use.

Bruschetta prep starts with cutting and draining the tomatoes. Crush them for a smooth, melty bite, or dice into small pieces for a more crunchy texture. Overripe tomatoes are ideal for crushing, while freshly ripe tomatoes are better for dicing. You don't want the toppings falling all over your hand when you're trying to take a bite, so drain them of the juices to avoid a runny and watery consistency.

Sprinkling your tomatoes with a pinch of Kosher salt is the best way to prepare them for bruschetta. Salt is a flavor-enhancing agent, and paired with the acidic tomato and neutral olive oil, it's not going to be too overt for your tastebuds. Pepper, basil, oregano, and thyme are good secondary seasonings that elevate the dish's earthy notes. Aromatics like garlic and yellow onion are tried-and-true companions for tomatoes, too.

If all this chopping and crushing sounds like too much work, you can toss all these ingredients in the food processor. In just a few pulses, you'll have a salsa-like texture to top the crusty bread like crostini or ciabatta. Making bruschetta doesn't get easier than that!