Bruschetta is a classic Italian recipe that celebrates the simplicity and quality of local ingredients, making it a staple of Tuscan home cooking. Traditionally enjoyed as an antipasto and often served at family gatherings and informal meals, bruschetta reflects the region’s emphasis on seasonal produce and shared dining. Preparing this recipe is a simple yet rewarding way to bring authentic Tuscany to your own kitchen.
About The Chef
Based near Lucca, Cinzia’s passion for cooking started from a young age with the combination of different culinary styles from family originating from the North and South of Italy. This led to her working abroad across Europe and Africa as a tourist assistant and then as a holiday resort manager, which included attending the supervision of the kitchens where she worked. Through learning about different food cultures during her time abroad, Cinzia decided to then return to Italy and specialise in offering private dinners and cooking classes in Tuscany.
In the words of Cinzia herself:
‘To cook for you is to love you.
In Italy, we don’t start a meal with food. We start with love.
This simple bruschetta is often the first thing I prepare when I cook for guests in Tuscany.’
Ingredients
• Rustic Italian bread
• Ripe cherry tomatoes
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove
• Fresh basil
• Salt
How Cinzia makes it
1. Toast the bread until golden.
2. Rub it gently with garlic while it’s still warm.
3. Chop the tomatoes and season them with salt and olive oil.
4. Spoon the tomatoes onto the bread.
5. Finish with more olive oil and fresh basil.
A note from Cinzia
No perfection. Just real food.
I always say this to my guests:
To cook for you is to love you.
Cook slowly.
Put on Italian music.
Share everything!
