Pan Con Tomate

This 6 ingredient Pan Con Tomate takes the simple traditional Spanish dish and levels it up with garlic confit, fresh basil and anchovies.

Pan Con Tomate is a bold, flavor-packed take on the classic Spanish tapas. Fresh, in-season tomatoes are grated and seasoned with oil, flaky salt, red pepper and a squeeze of lemon. Traditional Pan Con Tomate has raw garlic, but this version tones that down a bit and does a garlic confit instead. This add a silky richness to the toasts. Then anchovies are laid delicately on top, bringing a briny, umami punch that perfectly balances the sweetness of the tomatoes and the richness of the garlic.

This dish is a celebration of simple ingredients elevated through careful preparation. The contrast of textures—crunchy toast, juicy tomato, tender anchovies—makes it both rustic and refined. Finished with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, it’s an unforgettable bite that captures the essence of Mediterranean flavor.

If you like this toast, you’ll love my Anchovy Radish Butter Toast and my Tomatillo Salsa Verde Avocado Toast with Fried Egg & Hot Pepper Sardines.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Simple ingredients, big flavor. This recipe only calls for 6 ingredients, most of which are pantry staples. But it packs so much flavor.
• Feels elevated, but is easy to make. Between the anchovies, the garlic confit and the Spanish history, these toasts feel very elevated. They actually are very easy to make.
• Perfect for breakfast, brunch or tapas. This recipe is so versatile, and works as a snack, lunch or served for a tapas (appetizer).

Ingredients

• Tomatoes: This recipe works best with in-season super ripe tomatoes. They add such rich flavor and a simple recipe absolutely delicious.
• Garlic: Traditional pan con tomate uses raw garlic, but in this recipe we tone that flavor down and replace it with silky, rich garlic confit.
• Olive oil: The garlic cooks low and slow in good olive oil until it becomes sweet, rich and soft.
• Anchovies: Using, high quality, tinned anchovies add a salty, umami-rich depth that enhances and balances the flavors of the entire dish.
• Basil: Topping with fresh basil not only looks beautiful, but adds a brightness to the toasts.
• Sourdough bread: The tomatoes and garlic really soak into the bread, so you want a high quality bread like sourdough for this.

How to make Pan Con Tomate

1. Preheat oven to 250. Using a veggie slicer, peel the rind off of lemon and add to a ramekin along with the peeled garlic. Cover with enough olive oil to submerge the garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 60-90 minutes or until garlic is softened and browned.

2. Using a box or regular grater, grate tomatoes into a bowl.

3. Season the tomatoes with flaky sea salt a squeeze of lemon, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Open anchovies and add a little oil from the tin to the tomatoes.

4. Coat bread in olive oil and cook in a skillet for 2-3 min per side.

5. Add garlic confit cloves to the toast and mash in with a spoon. Top with spoonfuls of the seasoned grated tomatoes. Then top with anchovies.

6. Finish with more flaky sea salt and chopped basil. Enjoy!

Expert Tips

• Use ripe tomatoes for the best flavor. This recipe is best made in the summer when tomatoes are in season. Using in-season tomatoes brings so much more flavor.
• Warm bread helps absorb the tomatoes and the oil. Toasting your bread and adding the ingredients while the bread is still warm will really help the flavors come together.
• Use lots of lemon rind in the cocotte with the garlic. Adding lemon rind infuses the garlic with some of that lemon flavor.
• Use high-quality anchovies for a cleaner taste. I like to use Fishwife.

Variations

• Use fresh raw garlic instead of garlic confit. This will bring a lot more of that garlic flavor to the dish and be a more traditional take.
• Use a thicker bread like focaccia. The thicker the bread, the more it will soak up all those flavors from the grated tomatoes.
• Skip the anchovies. These toasts are great on their own if you are not a fan of anchovies.

Storage, Make Ahead & Freezing

Storage:
Pan con tomate is best eaten fresh, but you can store the components separately. Keep garlic confit in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, anchovies sealed in the fridge according to the package, and bread at room temp for 1–2 days. Once assembled, the toast will soften quickly, so it’s best enjoyed right away.

Make Ahead:
Prepare the garlic confit in advance and store chilled. You can also slice your bread and have anchovies ready to go. For the best texture and flavor, toast the bread and add the tomato just before serving.

Freezer Tips:
Fully assembled pan con tomate does not freeze well. However, you can freeze sliced bread for up to 2 months—toast straight from frozen. Garlic confit can also be frozen in small portions and thawed in the fridge before using.

FAQs

More Tinfish Recipes

• Herby Olive & Tinfish Sandwich with Cream Cheese
• Ricotta and Smoked Salmon Tinfish Tomato Toast
• Crispy Rice Egg & Tinfish Bowl
• Jalapeño Tuna Melt
• Anchovy Radish Butter Toast