Pan Con Tomate

Pan Con Tomate

Pan con tomate is one of those recipes we genuinely can't stop making. It sounds almost too simple, just bread, tomato, garlic and olive oil, but when you do it properly it is absolutely incredible. The key is grating the tomatoes and letting them drain so you're left with this intensely flavoured, silky pulp that clings to the bread rather than making it soggy. Every bite is sweet, garlicky, a little sharp from the vinegar, and the toasted bread gives you this amazing crunch underneath it all. Honestly, make this tonight and you'll see why the Spanish have been obsessing over it for years.

Cook: 20 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Sieve
  • Microplane or box grater
  • Bowl

Ingredients

  • 4 beef tomatoes
  • 4 slices of rustic bread
  • ½ tbsp sherry vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • flaky sea salt
  • black pepper
  • chives
  • extra virgin olive oil

Method

1

Prepare the tomatoes

  • Set a sieve over a bowl to catch the tomato liquid.
  • Using the large side of the grater, grate the tomatoes into the sieve, add a big pinch of salt and leave for 10-15 minutes so that the tomatoes lose most of their water.
2

Toast the bread

  • Under a hot grill, toast the bread until nicely browned.
  • Peel the garlic clove and rub onto the bread.
3

Assemble and serve

  • Stir the vinegar through the tomatoes.
  • Taste and season with salt and pepper.
  • Spread the tomato flesh over the toasted bread.
  • Drizzle with your favourite extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with chives, and serve.

Tips & Variations

  • Use the best tomatoes you can find: This recipe really lives or dies by your tomatoes. Ripe, in-season tomatoes make this something special. If yours are a bit pale and flavourless, a tiny pinch of sugar stirred through at the end can help bring them to life.
  • Don't skip the draining step: We know it's tempting to rush it but letting the grated tomato sit in the sieve is what stops your bread going soggy. Give it the full 10 to 15 minutes and you'll be glad you did.
  • Go generous with the olive oil: This is not the time to be stingy. A really good glug of extra virgin olive oil at the end ties everything together and adds a richness that makes the whole thing feel luxurious rather than just toast with tomato on top.

Why This Works

The trick here is patience with the tomatoes. Grating them and letting them sit in a sieve for 10 to 15 minutes draws out the excess water and concentrates all that flavour into a thick, jammy pulp. Then rubbing raw garlic straight onto hot toast means the rough surface of the bread acts like a grater itself, releasing all that punchy garlic flavour without any extra effort. It's a small thing but it makes a huge difference.