Pan con tomate, also known in Spain as pan tumaca or pa amb tomà quet in Catalan, is toasted bread topped with juicy tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, and sea salt. It makes a simple and satisfying breakfast, tapa, or snack any time of day. Add toppings if desired for an especially delicious pan con tomate!
If you're looking for more popular tapas, be sure to try my recipes for croquetas de jamón and gilda.
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Introduction
Pan con tomate is one of those things you'll find throughout Spain, like tortilla de patatas.
My recipe, which is the Madrid style pan con tomate, is not the only way to make this. Many families simply rub raw tomato on the bread, and drizzle the olive oil and salt on top, but I like mixing the tomato, olive oil, and salt together first to improve the flavors.
Ingredients
Fortunately, it only takes a handful of good quality ingredients to make wonderful pan con tomate. Let's talk about the most important ingredients before we get started!
- Bread: It's important to use a hearty, toasted bread that can stand up to plenty of olive oil and tomato juice. In Catalonia, we often use a rustic country bread or a thinly sliced "glass bread" that nearly shatters apart when eaten.
- Tomatoes: Be sure to use the ripest, freshest tomatoes you can find for the very best flavor. In Catalonia, there are special local tomatoes (tomà quets de penjar) that will spread like butter, so use those if you can!
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Experiment with different varieties. You will taste the olive oil, so be sure to use the very best quality you can find. I love a fruity arbequina or spicy picual. If you can find something unfiltered, even better! Learn more about olive oil.
- Sea Salt: Another must. And if you can find Flor de Sal, get some!
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- Catalonian (pa amb tomà quet): Serve for breakfast, as a base for tapas, or as a side dish. Rub the toasted country bread or glass bread (pan de cristal) with half of a garlic clove, then rub the tomato right on the bread and top with olive oil and salt.
- Andalusian: Serve at breakfast topped with jamón Serrano or jamón ibérico. Experiment with other cured meats, like lomo or fuet, as desired.
- Madrid Style: Serve at breakfast. Mix a little sherry vinegar into the grated tomato, and mix it with the olive oil and salt before spreading on the bread.
- Basque Style: Use pan con tomate as a base for pintxos. Try either salt cured or marinated (boquerones en vinagre) anchovies on top; or use one of each for a marriage (matrimonio). Alternatively, place a slice of your favorite cheese on top.
How to Make
If you’d like to see the full ingredients and instructions, scroll to the bottom of the post for the printable recipe card.
- Slice the bread.
- Toast the slices in the oven or in the toaster.
- Use the coarse side of a box grater to grate the tomato into a bowl.
- Stop grating when all the flesh is gone, leaving only the skin.
- Add the olive oil to the grated tomato.
- Season with sea salt to taste.
- Rub the bread with raw garlic if desired.
- Spread the tomato mixture on the bread.
- Sprinkle with a little more sea salt if desired.
- Drizzle with a bit more extra virgin olive oil and enjoy immediately!
Recipe FAQs
Pan con tomate is from the region of Catalonia in Spain, but it has become popular throughout the whole country, and each family, city, and region has its own way of making it.
Pan tumaca (or pan con tomate) is popular throughout Spain, but especially in the region of Catalonia, where it originated, and in the city of Madrid, which has its own way of making this Spanish favorite. There are many variations of pan con tomate throughout families, cities, and regions.
This simple dish is made simply from hearty bread, garlic, ripe tomatoes (in Catalonia, you would use local tomà quets de penjar, called "hanging tomatoes" in English), olive oil, and sea salt.
Serve
Pan con tomate is extremely versatile. It makes a delicious breakfast (with or without a slice or two of jamón), and is also perfect with other tapas, or as a side to any meal. Check out this roundup of the 50 best Spanish tapas for great dishes to serve with pan con tomate.
Store
Leftovers: You can refrigerate the tomato mixture for 2-3 days as long as it's tightly sealed. Spread it on the toasted bread when you're ready to serve it. However, the mixture will taste the best when it's freshly made.
Expert Tips
- Use the best quality ingredients you can find--such as hearty sliced bread, vine-ripened tomatoes, and flavorful olive oil. This is paramount when making the best pan con tomate!
- Choose a hearty bread that won't go soggy quickly when loaded with the juicy tomato and olive oil mixture.
- Season with salt to taste to bring out the natural flavors of the tomatoes.
- Experiment with toppings to add extra flavor and protein. Try jamón, cured meats, anchovies, or cheese.
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Pan con Tomate Recipe (Spanish Tomato Bread)
Ingredients
- 4 ripe, juicy tomatoes such as the Catalonian tomà quets de penjar
- extra virgin olive oil to taste
- 1 clove garlic halved lengthwise
- salt to taste
- 1 loaf hearty bread or unleavened bread
- several thin slices of Serrano or Iberian ham optional
Instructions
- Slice the bread to a medium thickness. Spread the slices on a cookie sheet and toast them in the oven at 250°F (120°C) for 5-10 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
- Rub the raw garlic on the toasted bread while it's still warm.
- While the bread is toasting, wash and dry the tomatoes. Cut them in half, and grate them using a box grater, discarding the stem and skins.
- Add about 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil and a pinch of salt to the grated tomato. Taste, and adjust the amounts if desired.
- Carefully spoon the tomato mixture onto the bread, and top with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt.
- If desired, top with a slice of jamón (Serrano or Iberian) for additional flavor. Enjoy immediately!
Notes
- Use the best quality ingredients you can find--such as hearty sliced bread, vine-ripened tomatoes, and flavorful olive oil. This is paramount when making the best pan con tomate!
- Choose a hearty bread that won't go soggy quickly when loaded with the juicy tomato and olive oil mixture.
- Season with salt to taste to bring out the natural flavors of the tomatoes.
- Experiment with toppings to add extra flavor and protein. Try jamón, cured meats, anchovies, or cheese.
Nutrition
Photography by Giulia Verdinelli
Katrina
Muy delicioso! Oh my goodness this was so good! So simple, I plan to make this again soon. We were unable to find Serrano or Iberian jamón so we opted to use prosciutto, but it still came out amazing. Thank you for the recipe!
Giulia
This was so simple to make!
Rubbing garlic on the sourdough gave it such a nice flavour and the sweetness of the tomato with the salty jamon is a really great combo.
Sel Runn
we added thinly sliced cheese and ran it under the broiler for a melt and a little crispness. A few crumbles of dry basil and you have a close taste to pizza... Have you had it this way?
Graeme Noonan
Simple Catalan approach of rubbing raw garlic and tomato on toasted sour-dough produces far subtler flavours.