Pan Con Tomate
Updated May 6, 2026
Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
3 or 4 very ripe medium tomatoes (about 1 ½ pounds)
1 pint cherry tomatoes (about 12 ounces)
4 to 6 large slices sturdy sourdough bread, about ½-inch thick
4 to 6 garlic cloves, peeled
Salt and pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
Basil leaves, for garnish (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)
49 grams carbs; 284 calories; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 6 grams fat; 4 grams fiber; 598 milligrams sodium; 10 grams protein; 8 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Cut 2 tomatoes in half crosswise. Place a box grater in a shallow bowl and grate the tomato flesh from the cut sides, pushing through the large holes. You should have 1 cup or so of coarse tomato purée. Set purée aside, and discard tomato skins.
- Step 2
Cut remaining large tomatoes into ¼-inch slices. Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Set aside.
- Step 3
Toast the bread until nicely browned and crisp. (Toasting over a charcoal grill yields a rich, smoky flavor, but a toaster, toaster oven or broiler works just as well.)
- Step 4
With your fingers, rub the top of each toast with a garlic clove. You will see the cloves get smaller as the garlic is dispersed, pushed into the bread. (For a less garlicky toast, press lightly when rubbing.)
- Step 5
Place toasts on a platter or individual plates. Spoon and spread a heaping tablespoon of tomato purée over each toast. Then arrange tomato slices and cherry tomatoes randomly on top.
- Step 6
Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper and a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil per toast. Garnish with whole or torn basil leaves, if using.
If you don’t want to bother with grating tomatoes, rub the toasted bread first with garlic, then with 1 or 2 halved tomatoes, until top surface is quite juicy, then continue with Step 6.
Private Notes
Comments
Two suggestions: Grate the top halves of all four tomatoes, saving the bottom halves for slicing. This has two advantages. The top half is easier to grate, because it is firmer and, if it has a piece of stem, that act as a handle. Also tomatoes ripen from the bottom up so the sliced bottoms will be more luscious. Use good country bread and toast it on only one side. The top, toasted side will provide the crunch, while the bottom, untoasted side will soak up the inevitable juice better.
If it's a Catalan traditional recipe, it's only fair to call it with it's true name: 'Pa amb tomàquet'. The only right way to do this is to rub the tomato straight onto the bread. If you're feeling fancy, toast the bread and rub it with garlic before the tomato. Finish it with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Adding more tomato on top is redundant and stupid, you better accompany it with cheese or cured meats.Red wine to wash it down. DO NOT PUREE!
It's true that tomatoes ripen from the bottom but when the tomato is ripe the whole fruit is ripe; if your tomatoes are not fully ripe, this is probably not the best recipe for them. To grate them, you don't really need a handle...you press the tomato against the grate with the heel of your hand and when you get to the grate, the skin of the tomato protects your hand. Finally, toasting on only one side leaves you vulnerable to a soggy result and tomato toast really does need crunch.
I just came back from Solsona , Spain, and the ingredients for pa amb tomàquet were on the table of the better restaurants! It is very Catalonian! You can find in Barcelona also. Anyhow, I now make it often. So happy to see it here.
I used very ripe tomatoes and thought the consistency was very soupy. I’d try this again but dice the tomatoes keeping the skin to keep it a bit less watery and add a bit of olive oil to the dice along with salt and pepper. And if the tomatoes are not super ripe, I think that it is still OK to use them as perhaps these wouldn’t make for such a watery sauce. Served with mozzarella and basil on the side. Taste is good though. Oh and yes, use a good firm bread, like a sourdough or baguette from a good bakery. Not the less expensive garden variety white.
After reading the passionate comments from the Catalan contingent, I have two comments. First, let’s be respectful of these recipe developers. They’re offering their unique take on dishes and we all get to benefit from it. I’ve never understood the “this isn’t authentic” critique. But second, I took the Catalan approach and am absolutely in love with it. Thick bread, well toasted, rubbed with garlic and ripe tomatoes, finished with flake salt and EVOO - perfection. I’m eating it every chance I get during tomato season.