The recently redesigned bruschetta recipe at Olive Garden improves on the Italian chain’s previous version. The tomato salad now includes a little sun-dried tomato and balsamic vinegar. It is served in a separate dish rather than on the bread to prevent it from getting soggy. The tomatoes are finely diced before mixing with the other ingredients. Additionally, the ciabatta bread is sprinkled with a little grated Parmesan cheese before it’s toasted. It is recommended to use a nice, chewy loaf of Italian bread for this dish in order to get the best flavor. The better the bread, the better the bruschetta.
SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 firm roma tomatoes, finely diced (about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons diced marinated sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 9 to 10 slices ciabatta bread (or Italian bread)
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
- pinch dried parsley flakes
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Toss diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar, and salt in a medium bowl. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- In a small bowl, combine Parmesan cheese with dried parsley. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet. Sprinkle a couple pinches of the Parmesan cheese mixture over each bread slice. Bake for 5 minutes or until the bread starts to crisp.
- Pour the tomato mixture into a serving dish, straining off the liquid. Serve the tomato mixture alongside the toasted bread slices.
