Bruschetta with Filippo Berio

Bruschetta has got to be one of my favourite starters or lunch appetisers. It’s simple to make and it’s great to have on your own or with your guests (when lockdown is over). Plus it rolls me back to long lunches in Italy with my parents in little trattorias. I remember some of the best we had were in Sicily’s hilltop town of Taormina, relaxing in the winding cobbled streets in the afternoon heat with an ice cold drink – perfect.

I have teamed up with Filippo Berio as part of a series of cook alongs during the Covid-19 crisis to bring you easy recipes using store cupboard ingredients, and of course delicious olive oil. Bruschetta is also a great way to use up bread that is a little past its best.

Here’s a couple of ideas for you to try.

Tomato Bruschetta

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cooking time: 5 minutes
• Total time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Handful of cherry tomatoes or 2 – 3 larger tomatoes
• 1 tsp dried herbs, use what you have but oregano, mixed Italian or basil would be perfect
• Few fresh basil leaves if you have it but not essential
• Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. First things first, dice your tomatoes. I like doing this a bit haphazardly so they’re different sizes but it’s up to you how precise you want to be.
2. Next add a good glug of Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil (2-3 tbsps at least), salt, pepper, dried herbs and if you have it some chopped or torn basil into the bowl, mix it up and leave while you prepare the bread, allowing all the flavours to soak in.
3. Slice some ciabatta or French bread into slices about 1 – 1.5cm thick.
4. Drizzle it with Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil and rub a cut garlic clove over the bread to flavour it and season with a little salt.
5. For ease I usually toast my bread in the oven (5 minutes 180 degrees) but you can place under a hot grill, use a griddle pan or even the toaster for speed.
6. Once the bread is lightly toasted, although a bit burnt does add to the flavour (!), it’s ready to serve.
7. Top with your tomatoes and a drizzle of olive oil. You could add mozzarella or grate some parmesan over the top too if you have it.

Tuna and caper bruschetta

Ingredients:

• Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Tin of tuna
• Red or white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp capers
• 1 tbsp of pitted olives, sliced
• Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Follow the same process as above for preparing the bread.
2. In a small bowl combine 2tbsps of olive oil and 1tbsp of red and white wine vinegar, if you have some lemon add a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper and then combine together with a spoon.
3. Drizzle the dressing over your tuna and mix together. You could always add cannellini beans too.
4. Top the bruschetta with the tuna, dress with the capers and olives, drizzle with Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil and serve.

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We’d love to see if you make your own bruschetta during lockdown and the Covid-19 crisis. Tag @FilippoBerio and @CookingCarafes and we’ll share them.

Thank you to Filippo Berio for inviting me to take part in their Interactive Cookery Sessions along with all the other great cooks; Kathy @Gluts_Gluttony, Carmela @CarmelasKitchen, Paola @thetinyitalian and Suzanne @eastdulwichchef. 

Don’t miss us all cooking up a Supper Club dish every day at 5pm, week commencing 20 April, over on our Instagram Lives.