Pan Con Tomate
You are in a rush to go to the office, or in the evening, you aren’t in the mood to go to the kitchen! So, it would be best if you had an easy-making snack that would be time-saving and delicious at a time. Pan con Tomate is a magical dish or snack from Catalan cuisine, Spain. With the help of a few ingredients (tomato, garlic, bread, olive oil, salt) available in your kitchen, you can make it in just 5 minutes. It’s a traditional, famous, and staple dish of many Spanish regions. People love to serve it as their breakfast, part of a bunch, or evening snacks. We will describe pan con tomato’s origin in detail- where it comes from, the recipe, how to store it, nutritional value, health benefits, etc., so let’s enjoy it together!
What is pan con tomate?
Pan con tomate is an iconic side dish or snack that evolved in Catalonia, northwestern Spain. It’s a traditional dish of Catalan/ Spain and is also known as “pa amb tomaquet” or “pan tumaca” which means tomato with bread. It is the staple dish of many Spanish restaurants and Catalan cuisine. With the combination of only five ingredients, you can make it, and they are available to your hand and inexpensive.
Usually, it is made with-
- High-quality bread,
- Fresh ripe tomato,
- Extra virgin olive oil,
- Garlic
- A sprinkle of sea salt
Very simple, quick, and easy to make. However, it’s an effortless dish but unbelievably delicious and satisfying. You can serve pan con tomate as breakfast, midday, or evening snacks. Without it, Spanish tomato bread is often filled with several Spanish tapas dishes, including garlic mushrooms, grilled Padron pepper, etc.
The provenance of pan con tomate
It is claimed that the origin of this dish mainly comes from Ancient Greece. At that time, people used olive oil and salt to dry bread, which was their beloved food. In the 18th century, tomate came to Catalonia from America, and indeed, it was a new ingredient in Catalan cuisine. In the end, it became popular in the Catalan region daily. Josep Lladonosa, a famous Catalan chef, said that at first, it was established in the 18th century. He was born in 1938. When he was a kid, his grandparents remembered that they used to eat a dish called pa amb tomaquet. Another cooking historian, Nestor Lujan, narrates that the first written document was enrolled in 1884. According to this document, this dish became popular in rural areas, and people used tomatoes to soften 1 or 2 days old bread. At present, pan con tomate has become a renowned dish in many regions of Spain, such as Andorra, Catalonia, Barcelona, etc. Apart from it, this dish is served as a staple food item in many restaurants in Spain.
Making process of pan con tomate- step by step
If you want to enjoy the exact taste of this dish, you must choose the best quality ingredients. Taking the best tomatoes, healthy quality bread, and best brand of olive oil is imperative.
The key ingredients
- Tomatoes- 1 or 2 large, ripe and fresh tomatoes.
- Good quality bread- 1 loaf of ciabatta bread, almost 1 pound
- Olive oil- ¼ cup. Add more to your requirement.
- Garlic- 1 or 2 garlic. Peeled and roasted garlic is also allowed to make this dish.
- Salt- as per your taste. A half teaspoon or more.
- Sea salt- take a small amount of sea salt for garnish.
- Herbs (optional)- you can use the proper amount of herbs your preference.
Essential tips to prepare the best pan con tomate
Choose the best quality beard
There are two types of bread used in Catalan. They are-
- A flatbread
- A round loaf
But it’s good to use the “artisanal” type of bread because it contains a crispy crust, and the inside is fluffy with lots of holes. Consequently, it will be able to carry more tomato pulp. So always try to choose sturdy, hearty bread and cut it into thick slices. It is one of the critical ingredients for making pan con tomate. This type of bread will be perfect for holding the pulp nicely.
Take the perfect tomatoes
To make this dish, Italian used hanging tomatoes called Ramallet (Catalan). These tomatoes have a thin layer of skin and taste sweeter, perfect for making tomato toppers. However, these tomatoes don’t contain excess water. When you rub it on the bread, the pulp breaks out easily and leaves the skin. No need to use a grater. These are the perfect tomatoes for this recipe, and you will get the best texture, flavor, and taste. You will find these tomatoes hanging on a string in the Catalan market. This hanging process helps to preserve the tomatoes for a long time. So try to choose these types of tomatoes. But if you cannot find these, take the tomatoes, which are very ripe, fresh, and large. These tomatoes will give the best outcome according to your expectation.
Use the best healthy olive oil
Extra virgin olive oil is best. So try to use it, as it has uncountable health benefits.
Garlic: Taking large garlic cloves to rub all over the bread is better.
Salt: Adding the right amount of sea salt helps to create a nice flavor and makes the bread a little crunchy too.
Toast the bread properly: Toast the bread duly because the perfect taste and texture will vary due to toasting.
Optional ingredients
Though this dish earned popularity due to its simple recipe with an incredible taste, you can add some extra elements to make it more attractive and delicious.
Chill flacks- If you want a spicy flavor, a little significant amount of fresh chili pepper on tomato pulp.
Vinegar- Adding a few drops of vinegar will change the texture of this dish.
Red pepper- Use roasted and mashed red pepper in the tomato topper.
Black pepper- Mouth to taste
Lemon/ lime juice- Though tomatoes are already acidic, adding a small amount of lemon juice helps brighten the mixture’s color.
Herbs- Sprinkle a little amount of parsley, basil, chives, and oregano on the tomato mixture.
If you want to enjoy this dish differently, you can add these enhancements to get a different taste and texture.
- Eggs- You could serve it differently by giving a fried egg or poached egg on top of the snack.
- Olives- Adding fresh and good-quality olives gives a little salty
- Mushrooms- To get an excellent flavor, you can add roasted or sauteed mushrooms.
- Manchego cheese- Do you want to get a taste of pizza? Cut a thick slice of manchego cheese and place it over the snack.
- Mozzarella cheese- Using a thick slice of mozzarella cheese offers you a creamy twist flavor.
- Avocado- Add a perfect slice of avocado, and you will be amazed to get the taste.
- Turn on the oven
- First, Cut the ciabatta loaf in half.
- Cut the flat side of the bread onto a cutting board into approximately one-and-a-half-inch slices.
- Now take the last slice and cut it in half. Do it thoroughly to other pieces.
- Four inches is the ideal size to pick up quickly and eat with your hand.
- Now take a baking tray, and arrange all slices on it.
- Brush the olive oil properly
- Toast the slice for a few minutes until the bread turns crispy.
- Sprinkle the garlic cloves on top of the bread.
- Set a box grater into a bowl and grate the tomato.
- Great the tomato until the skin remains only.
- Clean the remaining skin from tomato pulp
- Add salt as per your taste.
- Take two teaspoons of tomato mixture on the top of each slice.2
- Cover up with more olive oil and sprinkle sea salt on it.
- Finally, it’s time to enjoy the dish.
Pan con Tomate is a magic dish. You can consume it as your staple meal or snack. It can be served in various ways. But usually, you can serve it in two ways!
The first way- Prepared the tomato topper perfectly. Take a plate, assemble toasted bread, and place tomato mixture on top. I finally served it.
Second way- Arrange the toasted bread on a platter with some garlic cloves. Take tomato topper in a bowl and serve it. Anyone can make a snack of their own choice.
However, you can also serve it with different toppings. We have already enlisted some additional topping ideas. Scroll up and check out, please.
Actually, after making the pan con tomate, it’s better to eat it as soon as possible if you want to enjoy the best flavor. But you can store the tomato mixture in the fridge for 2 or 3 days. Prepare the tomato mixture and leave it in the refrigerator. When you are ready to serve, remove the mixture from the fridge. Toast the bread, rub garlic on it and finally use the topping over it.
Pan con Tomate is a package of some nutritional elements which are highly beneficial to our health. So undoubtedly, you can add it to your main meal on snacks. Let’s see how many nutrients they contain-
Amount - per serving
Calories- 232
| Nutrient | Quantity | Daily value |
| Fat | 9gm | 11% |
| Saturated fat | 1gm | 7% |
| Cholesterol | 0gm | 0% |
| Sodium | 435mg | 19% |
| Total carbohydrate | 33gm | 12% |
| Dietary fiber | 3gm | 10% |
| Total sugar | 6gm | |
| Protein | 6gm | |
| Vitamin C | 16gm | 79% |
| Calcium | 95gm | 7% |
| Iron | 2 mg | 13% |
| Potassium | 343mg | 7% |
Health benefits
The base elements of this snack are tomato, olive oil, garlic, and salt, which are good sources of various healthy nutrients. Not only are they delicious, but also they play a significant role in making a healthy life.
- Tomatoes contain high amounts of lycopene which helps to prevent cancer.
- Tomatoes are a good source of vitamin A, essential for many body functions. It helps to bind some important cells that our body’s read genes.
- Yellow and red vegetables are excellent sources of antioxidants that improve our heart diseases.
- Tomatoes are incredibly beneficial to improving prostate health.
- One tablespoon of tomato contains 13 calories but no fat present.
- One tablespoon of tomato paste contains 162 g of potassium. Potassium is highly beneficial in controlling our body’s minerals and water balance.
- Olive oils are fully loaded with powerful active antioxidants. These active antioxidants help to reduce many chronic diseases.
- They also fight against inflammation to protect our blood cholesterol from oxidation.
- Improve heart diseases.
- Olive also plays a significant role in protecting our body from cancer, metabolic syndrome, etc.
- It helps to prevent stroke.
- If you want to lose weight, you must add olive oil to your daily meal.
- Olive oil has antibacterial properties, which significantly affect our health.
- It has anticancer properties.
Pan con Tomate is a magical dish of Spanish cuisine. You make it quickly and fastly with some available ingredients from your kitchen. You can serve it both as a primary food item or snack. We have tried to cover up all the essential information about this delicious snack. Just try to read carefully for once. It will be helpful for you if you want to make it on your own.
- Choose the best and high-quality ingredients.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the bread into slices.
- Use ripe tomatoes to get the best result.
- It’s better to use a box grater and set it into a bowl. As a result, you can save the juice for other purposes.
- Enjoy the snack quickly after preparing it. Otherwise, the bread will turn soggy.
Why did you choose this recipe?
- It is an easy and quick method, needing only a few minutes to prepare.
- Only six ingredients will be enough to make this highly nutritious sapid dish.
- This dish includes available and cheap enhancements for your kids anytime.
- Kids will also be eager to eat it because it’s a colorful and delicious dish.
- You can also manage your surprise guests, whereas this dish does not take much time to prepare.