Tomato Bruschetta with Bacon and Blue Cheese
By America's Test KitchenPublished on February 23, 2012
Time
45 minutes, plus 30 minutes salting
Yield
Makes 12 toasts
Ingredients
4 slices bacon 1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered1 teaspoon table salt, divided¼ teaspoon sugar 7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar ½ teaspoon black pepper, divided1 loaf ciabatta bread, ends discarded, sliced crosswise into 12 (½-inch-thick) pieces1 garlic clove, peeled and halved1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese2 ounces blue cheese (½ cup)3 tablespoons minced fresh chives
Before You Begin
If you can’t find ciabatta, a loaf of hearty Italian bread can be used instead.
Instructions
- Cook bacon in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes; transfer to paper towel–lined plate to cool. Crumble bacon into bite-size pieces; set aside. Combine tomatoes, ½ teaspoon salt, and sugar in bowl, and let sit for 30 minutes. Transfer tomatoes to salad spinner and spin until excess liquid has been removed, 45 to 60 seconds, redistributing tomatoes several times during spinning. Return tomatoes to bowl along with 3 tablespoons oil, vinegar, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and toss to combine.
- Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 6 inches away from broiler element) and heat broiler. Arrange bread on baking sheet. Broil bread until deep golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Lightly rub 1 side of bread with cut side of garlic and brush with 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Process ricotta, blue cheese, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute. With processor running, slowly add remaining 3 tablespoons oil until incorporated. Spread ricotta mixture evenly on toast slices. Top toasts with tomatoes and bacon. Sprinkle with chives. Serve.
Time
45 minutes, plus 30 minutes saltingYield
Makes 12 toastsIngredients
4 slices bacon
1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
1 teaspoon table salt, divided
¼ teaspoon sugar
7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon black pepper, divided
1 loaf ciabatta bread, ends discarded, sliced crosswise into 12 (½-inch-thick) pieces
1 garlic clove, peeled and halved
1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
2 ounces blue cheese (½ cup)
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
4 slices bacon
1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
1 teaspoon table salt, divided
¼ teaspoon sugar
7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon black pepper, divided
1 loaf ciabatta bread, ends discarded, sliced crosswise into 12 (½-inch-thick) pieces
1 garlic clove, peeled and halved
1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
2 ounces blue cheese (½ cup)
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
4 slices bacon
1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
1 teaspoon table salt, divided
¼ teaspoon sugar
7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon black pepper, divided
1 loaf ciabatta bread, ends discarded, sliced crosswise into 12 (½-inch-thick) pieces
1 garlic clove, peeled and halved
1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
2 ounces blue cheese (½ cup)
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Normally, tomato bruschetta suffers from two main problems: watery, bland tomatoes and soggy bread. We ditched the tomato water by treating the tomatoes with salt and sugar and spinning them in a salad spinner to shed as much moisture as possible. We fixed the soggy toasts by making a moisture barrier of whipped ricotta cheese (arugula pesto and olive tapenade in the variations) and spreading it over the toasts before we topped them with tomatoes. The spread also acted as a glue that held the tomatoes in place.
Before You Begin
If you can’t find ciabatta, a loaf of hearty Italian bread can be used instead.
Instructions
- Cook bacon in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes; transfer to paper towel–lined plate to cool. Crumble bacon into bite-size pieces; set aside. Combine tomatoes, ½ teaspoon salt, and sugar in bowl, and let sit for 30 minutes. Transfer tomatoes to salad spinner and spin until excess liquid has been removed, 45 to 60 seconds, redistributing tomatoes several times during spinning. Return tomatoes to bowl along with 3 tablespoons oil, vinegar, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and toss to combine.
- Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 6 inches away from broiler element) and heat broiler. Arrange bread on baking sheet. Broil bread until deep golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Lightly rub 1 side of bread with cut side of garlic and brush with 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Process ricotta, blue cheese, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute. With processor running, slowly add remaining 3 tablespoons oil until incorporated. Spread ricotta mixture evenly on toast slices. Top toasts with tomatoes and bacon. Sprinkle with chives. Serve.
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