This simple tapas recipe for Pan con Tomate originated in Catalonia and is now popular in Andorra and Spain. Made by rubbing garlic, tomatoes, and olive oil on a loaf of crusty bread, you only need a few high quality ingredients to make an impressive recipe with lots of flavor.
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If you know me at all, you know one thing for sure: I’m a serious garlic lover. In my kitchen, garlic isn’t just an ingredient, it’s practically a lifestyle. I’ll happily add extra cloves to almost any recipe that calls for it (especially in my Homemade Macaroni and Cheese recipe).
Because of my garlic obsession, I’m always looking for recipes that let everyone customize their own level of flavor. That’s why this Andorran Garlic Tomato Toast (Pa Amb Tomaquet) is the perfect appetizer. It’s simple, authentic, and completely customizable, which is ideal for families, dinner parties, or anyone who loves an easy, hands-on dish. Each person rubs their bread with tomato and garlic, then finishes it with olive oil and flaky salt to taste. It’s rustic, fresh, and deeply Mediterranean.
No matter how you serve it, this garlic tomato toast is guaranteed to be a hit and it’s one of the easiest appetizers you’ll ever make. So grab your tomatoes, roast your garlic, and let me know how your family likes this one!
Recipe Origins
Pan con Tomate is a special tapas recipe that originated in Catalonia and later became popular in Spain and Andorra. It is also known as “Pan Tumaca” in Barcelona, and in Catalan, it is called “Pa amb Tomàquet”.
The first written record of this recipe can be traced back to 1884. It began as a popular dish amongst rural folks, who used tomatoes to soften their 1-2 day old bread. This is a dish (similar to Cheese Fondue or Bread Pudding) that was invented to stretch what little ingredients were available.
Today, Pan con Tomate is an easy recipe that is wildly popular in both Andorra and Spain. Even better, it can be found in almost any tapas bar!
Why Make this Recipe
- Simple: This recipe is very simple, with only 5 ingredients and just a few minutes toasting in the oven!
- Great for Kids: With no chopping required and ready instantaneously, it is a great dish to get kids excited about food! Break out the ingredients and have your kids prepare your Tomato Bread as a delicious appetizer!
- Fun for Entertaining: Set out a platter with all of the ingredients and let your guests make their own delicious tomato bread.
Key Ingredients for Pan con Tomate
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
Because this recipe has so few ingredients, it is really important that you choose the highest quality ingredients you can get!
- Bread: Any loaf of crusty or rustic bread will work. Choose a baguette, a french loaf, ciabatta, or any rustic bread with an open crumb.
- Tomato: I use a Roma Tomato because they are a “paste tomato” meaning that they will leave behind a better textured tomato pulp. Make sure you are getting a fresh, high quality tomato. Bonus points if you have a garden to pick from!
- Salt: I would highly recommend using a flaky sea salt for this recipe. It will make a big flavor and texture difference from table salt!
- Garlic: You can peel a garlic clove and cut it in half for easiest use!
- Olive Oil: Be sure and choose a high quality brand for the best flavor!
Recipe Variations
A non-traditional but delicious adaptation is to roast your head of garlic and then spread the caramelized garlic on the bread. Roasting the garlic adds a mellow sweetness and makes it easy to spread.
To roast your garlic just slice the top off a whole head of garlic, drizzle it with olive oil, and roast at 400°F for about 20 minutes. The result is mild, caramelized, and incredible on warm toast.
How to Make Pan con Tomate
Step One: Toast your bread in the oven until lightly browned.
Step Two: Peel your garlic clove and rub garlic onto each side of the bread.
Step 3 – Tomato Option 1: Catalan/Andorran Method – Cut the tomato in half. Rub the tomato onto each slice of bread, allowing the juice and pulp to coat the bread.
Step 3 – Tomato Option 2: Spanish Method – Grate the tomato(es) on the large setting of a cheese grater, turning it into a tomato pulp. Strain out any extra liquid, then spoon the pulp onto the top of each piece of bread.
Step Four: Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and flakey sea salt.
Expert Tips
- For the bread, I used a thicker baguette, then cut it in half width wise, so that it opened like a sandwich.
- The raw garlic on the bread ends up being very strong, so proceed with caution.
- I personally prefer the modern, Spanish option because it has more tomato flavor. Either option works, and both are enjoyed in Spain and Andorra. Different families/regions might have different ways of enjoying this dish, so feel free to choose what sounds best to you!
- Serve the tomato bread as fast as possible to avoid your bread getting soggy.
Recipe FAQs
I wouldn’t recommend holding on to any leftovers that have already been dressed with tomatoes and olive oil. Because of the nature of this dish, your bread will turn soggy!
Instead, feel free to save each of the ingredients separately, and assemble your Tomato Bread the next day for a fresh treat.
The garlic in this recipe is strong. If you don’t love garlic, you can always omit it and prepare the bread with just tomato, olive oil, and salt.
Italian Bruschetta and Spanish Pan con Tomate are very similar, but there are some key differences. Bruschetta recipes call for chopped tomatoes that are often mixed with other herbs. Pan con Tomate, on the other hand, rubs the tomato juice right onto the bread which makes it feel a bit more rustic.
Did you enjoy this recipe for Pan con Tomate? If so, make sure to check out these recipes I picked out just for you:
- Escudella (Andorran Meat Stew)
- Torrijas (Spanish-Style French Toast)
- Hungarian Langos Recipe
- Fata: Spicy Tomato Sauce from Eritrea
If you tried this Pan con Tomate Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Pan con Tomate
Ingredients
- 1 loaf crusty bread, cut into slices
- 1 clove garlic, whole
- 2 roma tomatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp flakey sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to a low broil.
- Place 1 loaf crusty bread pieces on an ungreased cookie sheet and place the sheet in the oven for 2-3 minutes or until the bread is toasted. Remove the bread from the oven.
- Peel 1 clove garlic and rub the garlic onto each slice of bread.
- Tomato Option 1: Catalan/Andorran Method – Cut 2 roma tomatoes in half. Rub the tomato onto each slice of bread, allowing the juice and pulp to coat the bread. This will leave a thinner layer of tomato.
- Tomato Option 2: Spanish Method – Grate 2 roma tomatoes on the large setting of a cheese grater, turning it into a tomato pulp. Place the tomato pulp in a strainer to strain out any extra liquid. Then spoon the pulp onto the top of each piece of bread.
- Drizzle a bit of 2 tbsp olive oil onto each piece of bread, then sprinkle each piece with 1 tsp flakey sea salt. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Bread: Any loaf of crusty or rustic bread will work. Choose a baguette, a french loaf, ciabatta, or any rustic bread with an open crumb.
- Tomato: I use a Roma Tomato because they are a “paste tomato” meaning that they will leave behind a better textured tomato pulp. Make sure you are getting a fresh, high quality tomato. Bonus points if you have a garden to pick from!
- Salt: I would highly recommend using a flaky sea salt for this recipe. It will make a big flavor and texture difference from table salt!
- Olive Oil: Be sure and choose a high quality brand for the best flavor!
- For the bread, I used a thicker baguette, then cut it in half width wise, so that it opened like a sandwich.
- The raw garlic on the bread ends up being very strong, so proceed with caution.
- I personally prefer the modern, Spanish option because it has more tomato flavor. Either option works, and both are enjoyed in Spain and Andorra. Different families/regions might have different ways of enjoying this dish, so feel free to choose what sounds best to you!
- Serve the tomato bread as fast as possible to avoid your bread getting soggy.
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