I love rustic dishes. I like the simplicity and sense of home they impart. To me a rustic meal is a hearty dish.
It’s good old fashioned comfort food, prepared with quality fresh ingredients. Maybe something like mashed potatoes with the skins left on? If you’re anything like me and can’t get enough of rustic Italian food, you’ll love this Rustic Bruschetta recipe that I found on the Pompeian web site. It’s comfort food at it’s finest. As part of a Smiley360.com program, I received a sample of Pompeian Extra Virgin Olive Oil and was asked to either create a new recipe or prepare a recipe from their web site. There is a referral link to join Smiley360 at the bottom of this post.
Bread is my greatest weakness. If I had it my way, bread with a little olive oil and garlic would be served at every meal. So really it’s no surprise that I was drawn to this Rustic Bruschetta recipe. After all, what more could a girl want in a dish? For me bruschetta is a meal in itself, but last night it was served alongside a bowl of my somewhat famous lentil soup. Mmm. It was good.
When making a rustic dish like bruschetta, it’s important to use only the finest of ingredients. Use a loaf of hearty Italian bread, fresh garlic, the ripest tomatoes, fresh basil, and the best extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar you can find.
Pompeian Extra Virgin Olive Oil is extremely low in acidity, which accounts for its robust taste and heady fragrance. It’s perfect for use in dressings, salads, vinaigrettes or as a table condiment for dipping bread of crudité. I love that it’s naturally cholesterol free and has zero grams of trans fats.
Rustic Bruschetta Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon Pompeian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 pound plum tomatoes seeded and finely chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped basil
- 1 tablespoon Pompeian White Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 loaf Italian bread cut diagonally into 3/4-inch slices
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic to skillet and cook 1 minute, stirring often.
- Add tomatoes, basil, vinegar and Parmesan to skillet. Stir together until well blended and warmed through, about 3 minutes. Transfer tomato mixture to a bowl and wipe out skillet.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Meanwhile, brush tops of bread slices with remaining olive oil. Place bread on a cookie sheet, and into the preheated oven for about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned.
- Top bread slices with tomato mixture and serve immediately.
This is a winner! I agree with you 100% – the key to this is FRESH ingredients, high quality EVOO, etc. The freshly baked Italian is not hard to find. I love good bruschetta!