What's your favourite bruschetta topping?

Simple ingredients and tasty flavours are what distinguishes the bruschetta, a typical Italian starter.

The name came from the way that the bread – its main ingredient – is cooked. Specifically from Lazio and Abruzzo, two Italian regions, where when speaking of toasted bread, they say "pane bruscato".

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In the past, preserving fresh bread was a little difficult, and as you know after a day or two, bread becomes hard and stale. Instead of throwing it away, it was toasted and served along with soups or used to make bruschette.

Bread can be toasted either on a grill or in the oven. The best bread to use is what we call "pane casareccio", like this one in the photo.

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Basic ingredients

Bread

Garlic

Olive oil, better if EVOO (extra virgin)

Salt

How to make bruschetta?

The method is a piece of cake. Toast the slices of bread. While they get warm, spread some garlic all over. Turn them a couple of times, and when the bread is a little crunchy, your bruschetta is ready!

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At this point, you can garnish bruschette either with just a drizzle of oil and a pinch of salt, or with chopped tomatoes and basil. There are many variations: chopped tomatoes and prosciutto crudo, for example, or lard of colonnata (pork lard cured in local marble) and honey. You can also spread on your bruschetta olives or artichokes pâte: there are no limitations! There's only one rule, use your hands to eat them!

What's your favourite bruschetta topping?