Roasted Cherry Tomato Bruschetta

There is an expression in Italian that says, il pane non si butta, which means, "bread is not to be thrown away". When I was growing up in Maryland and traveling to Italy every summer, I heard this phrase from my parents, grandparents and relatives all the time and I have never forgotten it. It is essentially an admonition to not waste bread, or any other kind of food for that matter.

I grew up watching my parents and relatives work hard for the food they bought and prepared. Very little, if any, food went to waste. Leftovers were always eaten and sometimes turned into new dishes altogether. I was taught to put onto my plate only what I knew I could eat, and if I was still hungry when I finished, I was always encouraged to help myself to seconds, again with the reminder to take only what I could eat. I still apply these lessons today when eating and cooking. Occasionally, some food I buy will go to waste, often from a combination of overambitious recipe ideas and poor planning. When this happens, the phrase reverberates loudly in my mind--an ingrained chastisement and reminder.

At the end of our stay in Austin a couple of weekends ago, Peter and I stopped at a fabulous bakery called Easy Tiger to grab a quick breakfast before hitting the road, and I simply could not leave without a loaf of bread. It was close to impossible to choose, but in the end, I went with their Pane Italiano. It was fragrant, with a light and tender crumb and a crisp, firm crust--just the way I like my bread.

It was lunchtime when we got home, so we cut into the loaf and made simple sandwiches with thinly sliced prosciutto di Parma that I had bought a few days earlier. The next morning, I toasted a couple of slices, spread them with a slip of butter and enjoyed them with my morning coffee. By the next day, the loaf was in the beginning stages of going stale, but still completely edible. I definitely was not going to let it go to waste: it was just the right texture to make bruschetta.

The word bruschetta comes from the verb, bruscare, which means "to toast". From the research I've done, I have discovered that bruschetta, although enjoyed primarily in the summer months when tomatoes are at their peak, is especially savored in the late fall when olives are harvested to make olive oil, and no tomatoes are necessary to relish this quick, light snack. I also discovered that there are variations of this simple appetizer depending on the region where it is prepared. A Calabrian version fire-roasts tomatoes whole, after which they are peeled, crushed and seasoned with sweet and hot paprika, fresh chili and mixed with olive oil. A version from central Italy excludes tomatoes and the grilled bread is topped simply with a few rubs from a fresh garlic clove, a sprinkling of salt and pepper, and a final drizzle of olive oil. A Tuscan version includes freshly chopped tomatoes, fresh basil and fresh oregano seasoned with salt, pepper and olive oil.

I cannot talk about bruschetta without mentioning the pronunciation. Namely, how the word bruschetta is all too often mispronounced and how the mispronunciation is (sadly) becoming the norm. One of my favorite Italian food bloggers, Emiko Davies, wrote about it and when I read her post, I rejoiced in how eloquently she explained the correct pronunciation of this beautiful dish.

My version of bruschetta combines elements of the different recipes I came across in my research. I seasoned sweet cherry tomatoes with salt, pepper and olive oil and slow-roasted them in a deep casserole dish until they slumped in on themselves and released their juices. I sliced my remaining loaf of pane Italiano, brushed each side with olive oil and grilled them until crisp. I rubbed each warm slice with fresh garlic before topping them with the tomatoes. Ribbons of fresh basil added a finishing touch and a fresh burst of summer flavor.

Now, when you have a loaf of fresh bread that is on the cusp of going stale, remember that il pane non si butta and make bruschetta.

Roasted Cherry Tomato Bruschetta

If the loaf of bread you are using is wide, cut the slices in half so they are appetizer size. The bread can be grilled on a stovetop grill pan or an outdoor grill.

For the purposes of providing a working recipe, I measured each ingredient, however since the size of cherry tomatoes and loaves of bread vary, you may need to make adjustments to the quantity of ingredients, so use this recipe primarily as a guide.

3 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, rinsed and patted dry
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus more for brushing the bread
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
12 slices of crusty bread (such as: baguette, ciabatta, boule)
2 large, fresh garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half crosswise
4-5 leaves fresh basil, chiffonnade

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, combine the cherry tomatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss well to coat all of the tomatoes. Transfer the tomatoes to a deep, oven-safe casserole dish and bake until the tomatoes have collapsed and released their juices, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the tomatoes cool.

Heat a grill pan (or outdoor grill) over medium heat.

Slice the bread into 1/4-inch thick slices. Put some olive oil in a small bowl. Use a pastry brush to brush each side of the bread slices with a light coating of oil. Place the slices of bread on the grill pan and grill each side for 2-3 minutes, or until visible grill marks appear. Remove the grilled bread to a large platter. Rub the side of each slice of bread that will hold the tomatoes with some garlic. Spoon the roasted cherry tomatoes onto each slice of bread and top with some ribbons of basil.

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Roasted Cherry Tomato Bruschetta