Description
Turn basic bruschetta into your signature party appetizer. This easy basil pesto bruschetta recipe brings simple ingredients together and lets them shine. Toasted bread, bright tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, a swipe of classic basil pesto and a tangy balsamic glaze that ties everything together with almost zero effort. The perfect Italian classic that is much more memorable than traditional bruschetta.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/2 French Bread Loaf sliced
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 3/4 cup Pesto Sauce (homemade or store bought)
- 12 pieces Fresh Mozzarella Cheese halved
- 15 Cherry Tomatoes cut into 8ths or diced
- Balsamic Glaze drizzle
- Fresh Basil chopped for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a baking sheet with a baking mat, parchment paper, or aluminum foil.
- Using a bread knife, slice the fresh bread into slices about 1/4 inches thick. If the bread slices are too thin they will fall apart and if they are too thick the bread to topping ratio will be off.
- Place the baguette slices onto the baking sheet and either brush them with olive oil or spray them with an olive oil sprayer.
- Lightly sprinkle with garlic powder.
- Bake for 5 minutes until they are lightly toasted. Some French baguettes come pre-baked and you can skip this step. You just want to make sure the bread doesn’t get soggy when the toppings are added.
- While the bread bakes, slice the tomatoes into eights or fourths depending on size.
- Then cut the fresh mozzarella pieces in half so they cover the baguette slices nicely.
- Once the bread is baked and cooled for a few minutes, use a spoon to smear about a half a tablespoon of pesto onto each slice of bread.
- Place a slice of mozzarella cheese and about five slices of tomato on top of the bruschetta toasts.
- Bake in the oven for an additional 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is melty.
- Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes.
- Drizzle with balsamic glaze and a sprinkle of fresh basil just before serving.
Notes
These will get soggy as they sit. I do not recommend making these ahead of time. If you are running short on time, the bruschetta toasts and the pesto (if making homemade pesto) can be prepared ahead of time and the tomatoes and basil can be chopped ahead of time, but do not assemble until ready to serve.
- Prep Time: 13 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Italian
