I’ve loved Italian bruschetta for a long time. I remember the first time I heard about it was on Food Network. An “authentic bruschetta recipe.” It was a segment about party appetizers or something, and it was summer. I had recently become obsessed with fresh mozzarella, which sounds strange. But growing up as an only child with picky eaters for parents, I never really tried it. Not until I was old enough to cook for myself and to experiment with food.

The authentic bruschetta recipes I had in Italy when I traveled in my adulthood had no cheese. But, the first time I had melted, fresh mozzarella on crispy, oily bread, I was over the moon. I made cheesy tomato toast obsessively when my mom gifted me a jar of bruschetta spread. It was an odd American concoction of soggy tomatoes and it had a slightly sweet flavor. But that day I tried putting it on top of my cheesy bread. I sprinkled some salt on and my brain did flips. I loved the contrast between the cold tomato and the warm, oily bread. So of course, bruschetta is one of my favorite things. 

Authentic Bruschetta Recipes in Italy

So, all this to say, authentic bruschetta recipes do not have mozzarella. It’s a simple Italian dish that utilizes leftover bread and tomatoes. And I was shocked to eat it for the first time in Italy after believing most of my life that it would have cheese. I remember sitting at my first restaurant in Florence and ordering two portions for our table. It looked naked. The server presented us with a plate of small, irregular bread shapes, topped with tomato.

At first I wasn’t satisfied. Which, I know, is wild to say about eating authentic Italian food in Italy. And what a huge wish come true to be in Italy! However, it took me a while to re-train my palate to not long for the melted cheese and familiar American sourdough bread.

So, my bruschetta recipe uses all of the traditional Italian components, but I also throw on fresh mozzarella. It really adds a layer of chew, salt, and fat, that makes the dish delectable. My mom likes to eat it as a whole meal – she often requests it for lunch on special occasions, and sometimes when I’m home I’ll randomly make it to surprise her.

The Birth of a Business Idea

I remember, a few years ago in 2019, I was at home waiting to start my summer job in Camden, and I had made bruschetta for us. My mom reminded me that she wanted the recipe before I left because she wouldn’t be able to live without it. I told her it was fairly simple, and that I’d print it out for her. I was busy putting together a greeting card order for a local store, utilizing my post-undergrad art skills to make watercolor cards of my favorite foods. Funnily enough, I had just painted an authentic bruschetta recipe.

My mom suggested I print out the recipe with the painting, like a recipe card. I was taken aback for a second, and thought it was an amazing idea. And suddenly, while flipping through a pile of my seafood themed greeting cards, I too had an idea. I realized I could print the bruschetta painting on the cover and the recipe on the inside left. That way people could buy the card and send a recipe in the mail to their loved ones!

My Easy Authentic Bruschetta Recipe

I had no idea that within a year a pandemic would force us all into our houses and greeting card sales would soar. In that moment, I went a step further, and investigated how I could perforate the edge of the greeting card so that recipients could detach the recipe portion and save it in a recipe box. I could print them as 4×6’s, the standard size of a recipe card. 

This turned into my first business, which I’m so proud of to this day. It was a great outlet to have during the pandemic, and I ended up making over 100 paintings and recipes to sell. I sold them wholesale at many store in Maine and beyond, online, and with partners like Uncommon Goods and The Grommet.

Because I spent so much of the pandemic painting, it lost a lot of its appeal to me after a while, and I burnt myself out. Which is a story for another time. But, this authentic bruschetta recipe is technically the first of Happy Cooking Cards and without my mom’s idea, I wouldn’t have become a small business owner in my early 20’s! Bruschetta to me symbolizes family, togetherness, and the joy of simplicity. And it also reminds me of my time in Italy, which I wouldn’t trade for the world. 

Check out my bruschetta watercolor cards and prints on Etsy! Use code THEFORKEDRING for 25% off.

Print Pin

Easy Bruschetta Recipe

An Italian appetizer with a mozzarella twist

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Keyword bruschetta recipe, Italian recipes

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author theforkedring

Ingredients

• 4 fresh tomatoes diced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp fresh chopped basil
• 2 tbsp fresh chopped garlic
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 loaf sourdough bread sliced
• 1 lb fresh buffalo mozzarella

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 450° F.
• Dice tomatoes and squeeze gently through a towel or cheesecloth to remove the excess liquid.
• Once dry, mix with olive oil, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper.
• Chill in the refrigerator. Slice bread and coat both sides with olive oil.
• Toast for 3-4 minutes on a parchment-lined baking sheet until golden.
• Top with 1 slice of mozzarella and cook further just to melt.
• Top with tomato mixture.

Notes

• I cut my tomatoes on a couple folded paper towels so that the excess liquid gets soaked up. This helps allow the olive oil and basil flavor to come forward in the bruschetta mixture rather than watering it down. 

• I like oiling my bread before it cooks to ensure that it’s even, but you can also cook the bread in a pan with a little bit of oil and shake it around a bit to coat evenly. 

• If you’re using mozzarella, make sure the bread is a little undercooked before broiling the cheese so that the bread doesn’t burn. 

• Always taste your bruschetta mix before serving – it may need a touch of salt on top.