Catalan Tomato Bread

By
Lisa & Tony Sierra
Lisa & Tony Sierra
Lisa and Tony Sierra are freelance writers and Spanish food experts who lead culinary tours of the country.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 05/26/23
Tested by
Diana Andrews
Headshot of Diana Andrews
Tested by Diana Andrews
Diana earned her B.A. in Fine Art at Queens College and her culinary certification from the Institute of Culinary Education. Diana has served as head recipe developer and editor for Emmy-nominated PBS series Moveable Feast, food editor and test kitchen manager at Fine Cooking Magazine, and recipe developer, and product tester at Food Network.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Catalan Tomato Bread

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Toasting: : 5 mins
Total: 20 mins
Servings: 10 servings
Yield: 10 pieces

Spanish tomato bread is simply toasted bread rubbed with fresh garlic and ripe tomato, then drizzled with olive oil and a bit of salt. It can be eaten by itself, but is often topped with cheese, ham or sausage and is eaten for breakfast or as an appetizer.

Pan con tomate (literally "bread with tomato") is sometimes called pan a la Catalana in other parts of Spain. It is one of the simplest, most well-loved, most widely eaten and most famous dishes from Cataluña. In Catalan, it is known as pa amb tomaquet.

It is best to use a rustic-style bread, that is solid and dense and a bit wider than the standard, narrow baguette.

"This recipe proves that few ingredients, when properly paired, can be unexpectedly delicious. The garlic and tomato rubbed over the surface of the toasted bread is amazingly flavorful. Be sure to use good-quality extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling. I finished the toast with smoked, flaky sea salt. It was wonderful." —Diana Andrews

Catalan Tomato Bread
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf rustic-style bread

  • 2 large cloves garlic

  • 2 large ripe round tomatoes

  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

  • Kosher salt, or flaky sea salt, to taste

  • Thinly sliced Spanish cheese, chorizo, or ham, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Catalan Tomato Bread ingredients

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. Slice off one end piece of the bread, which will have lots of crust, and set it aside for another use. Then cut the rest of the loaf into 10 slices, about 3/4-inch thick. 

    sliced bread

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. Toast the slices lightly on both sides.

    Toast the slices lightly

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Peel the garlic cloves and slice a bit off the ends and rub the cut ends over each slice of bread. The cloves will eventually wear down after being rubbed against the toasted bread, and you will end up with stubby little pieces that are impossible to hold.

    rub the toasted bread with garlic

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  5. Slice the ripe tomatoes in half crosswise. Then, rub the cut side of the tomato generously onto each slice.

    Slice the ripe tomatoes in half across the middle and rub on bread

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  6. Drizzle the extra-virgin olive oil over the slices of bread. Season with salt and serve.

    Catalan Tomato Bread, salted and drizzled with olive oil

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Tip

If you like, enjoy the tomato bread or pan con tomate by itself. However, if you want to make the dish a little more substantial, add Spanish serrano ham, Spanish cheese, such as manchego or some Spanish chorizo sausage.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
220 Calories
4g Fat
39g Carbs
7g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10
Amount per serving
Calories 220
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g 5%
Saturated Fat 1g 4%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 430mg 19%
Total Carbohydrate 39g 14%
Dietary Fiber 2g 9%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 5mg 26%
Calcium 113mg 9%
Iron 3mg 16%
Potassium 184mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)