Delicious sweet flavours of roasted charred cherry tomatoes and garlic on a crusty golden bruschetta, it doesn’t get better than this!

You may have seen my fresh cherry tomato and basil bruschetta recipe, this is its close cousin, the roasted version! Charred to perfection it makes such a lovely topping, with the added step of cooking the tomatoes.

Despite what people think, the tomato topping isn’t the bruschetta. It’s the crusty bread underneath! Bruschetta is an Italian appetizer of toasted bread rubbed with garlic and olive oil. The word “bruschetta” comes from the Italian word bruscare, which means “to toast bread” or “roast over coals”.

So now you are an expert in that titbit of knowledge we can dive into what makes this one special. The ingredients are kept really simple, and the technique is too. Just a few ingredients to enhance the flavour of the tomatoes.

Roasting tomatoes deeply, caramelizes their natural sugars, so it makes them less tart, more mellow and enhances their savoury flavours. Adding balsamic and garlic during cooking again increases this depth and umami too.

I will also share how to make easy fail proof golden crunchy bruschetta everytime. All you need is a French Baguette, some olive oil and a clove of garlic.

I have used cherry tomatoes here today, but any firm sweet tomato will do, such as Roma, Heirloom or Campari.

The ingredients you will need are

Scroll down to the full printable recipe cards, including quantities and method

CHERRY TOMATOES
EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
BALSAMIC GLAZE
Garlic
Salt
Basil
BLACK PEPPER
FRENCH BAGUETTE OR CIABATTA

Roasting tomatoes breaks down their flavours and their size! So for serving 8 pieces of bruschetta you need around 400 grams of cherry tomatoes.

Unlike my fresh tomato and basil bruschetta topping, I do not drain the liquid from my tomatoes for this one. If using cherry tomatoes, I simply halve them, if using larger tomatoes you may wish to remove some of the seeds after dicing so they are not too watery.

In a roasting dish I drizzle it with extra virgin olive oil and place the cherry tomatoes cut face down, then drizzle again with oil. Bake in a hot oven until the skins just begin to crinkle.

Then I add the balsamic glaze, the minced garlic and a little shredded basil, then I turn the oven to grill and cook until the tomatoes begin to char and go lovely and brown.

Meanwhile I prepare the bruschetta, this recipe is for 8-10 pieces of bruschetta, you can size up or down depending on how many you are serving. Simply slice the French stick on a 45 degree angle with a large bread knife, around 1.5 cm wide, then brush both sides with olive oil.

Once the tomato topping is ready, place the bruschetta under the grill for 1-2 minutes each side, just until the edges are golden and the top feels crunchy. Do not overbake, or you will have wee bricks!

Then while the bread is still hot, rub half a fresh clove of garlic over the bruschetta, to infuse with a lovely subtle garlic flavour. These are AMAZING served on their own, or on a cheese platter too.

Only top bruschetta just before serving, to avoid the crispy bread from becoming soggy. You can jazz this recipe up in a number of ways, a simple whipped feta is lovely spread over the bread, or a little mozzarella or parmesan.

You can even grate cheese over the top of the tomato mixture topped bruschetta and pop under the grill for a few minutes to become golden and bubbly – absolutely divine!

Be sure to check out my lovely fresh version too!

I hope you love this easy recipe, one to add to the long list to try.

Enjoy – Just A Mum’s Kitchens easy Roasted Cherry Tomato Bruschetta recipe

Roasted Cherry Tomato Bruschetta

Name: Roasted Cherry Tomato Bruschetta
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: Whipped feta, grated parmesan or mozzarella, shredded basil; 400 grams Cherry Tomatoes, halved; 2-3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil; 2 teaspoons Balsamic Glaze; 2 Gloves garlic, divided; 8-10 Basil Leaves; 8-10 Slices of French Baguette; Pinch of Salt & Pepper

Yield: 8-10 Pieces

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Delicious sweet charred cherry tomatoes served on top of crispy golden bruschetta.

Ingredients

400 grams Cherry Tomatoes, halved
2-3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 teaspoons Balsamic Glaze
2 Gloves garlic, divided
8-10 Basil Leaves
8-10 Slices of French Baguette
Pinch of Salt & Pepper

Optional Toppings, see notes

Whipped feta, grated parmesan or mozzarella, shredded basil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200°C Bake.
Drizzle olive oil over the base of a medium or 30 x 20 cm roasting dish.
Halve the cherry tomatoes and place face down in the oil, and drizzle a little more olive oil over the top of the tomatoes.
Bake for 15 minutes, until the tomato skins are just starting to crinkle. Remove from the oven and turn the oven onto GRILL, high
Add the balsamic glaze, one minced garlic clove and the shredded basil leaves and gently stir through.
With the oven set to grill, carefully move the oven rack up slightly and place the tomatoes back into the oven and roast for 5-10 minutes until they begin to char and go dark brown in places.
Remove the tomatoes from the oven, add a pinch of salt and pepper, stir gently and set aside.
While the tomatoes are cooking, slice the french baguette into 1.5cm slices at a 45° angle
Brush with olive oil on both sides of the bread and place on a baking tray. When the tomatoes are finished, place the bread under the grill.
Cook the bread for 1-2 minutes until the edges become lightly golden and the top feels crispy to the touch, then turn and cook the other side - careful not to overcook.
Remove from the oven, halve a garlic clove and rub this over each piece of crispy bread on the serving side.
Place the warm roasted cherry tomatoes in a small dish and serve with the crusty bread on the side.
Do not top the bruschetta with the tomatoes until ready to eat to avoid it going soggy. Top with finely shredded basil or see notes below for topping ideas.
You can make the roasted tomatoes ahead of time if you wish, store for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator, serve at room temperature or slightly warmed on top of freshly made bruschetta.
Enjoy!

Notes

Serving Ideas for Roasted Cherry Tomato Bruschetta?

Cheats Whipped Feta

50 grams of room temperature feta
1-2 teaspoons whole egg mayonnaise
lemon juice to taste

In a small bowl mash the feta with a spoon, add the mayonnaise and stir until creamy, then add the lemon juice a little at a time to assist with the saltiness. Spread this over the bruschetta then top with the cherry tomatoes

Melted Mozzarella or Parmesan

When ready to eat, top the golden bruschetta with the roasted cherry tomato topping, grate over your choice of cheese, and pop under the grill until the cheese is melted and bubbly, ensuring the bread does not burn.

What sort of tomatoes can I use for Roasted Tomato Bruschetta?

I use cherry tomatoes for ease of preparing, but you can use roma, heirloom or campari, any firm sweet tomato will work well.

Whats is balsamic glaze?

It is a thick and syrupy reduction of balsamic vinegar. It is lovely here as the flavour is sweet and strong. I like to add it to the tomatoes, and then I add some of the remaining tomato juices to a little balsamic glaze to then drizzle over the finished dish.

How far ahead can I make the crispy bruschetta slices?

Make these just before serving, so they are lightly golden brown, crispy but with a soft fluffy inside.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 412Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 812mgCarbohydrates: 63gFiber: 3gSugar: 8gProtein: 16g

JustAMumNZ.com, occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although justamumnz.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

I look forward to hearing what you think of this recipe, be sure to share your photos when you make it on my social media pages!

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Happy Cooking

Anna