This tomato, basil, mozzarella bruschetta recipe with pesto will be your new favorite easy appetizer when tomatoes are in season! Made with just five simple ingredients, they are ready to eat in about 15 minutes.

white plate of tomato basil mozzarella bruschetta

This tomato bruschetta with pesto, basil, and fresh mozzarella cheese is my all time favorite easy summer appetizer recipe! My family has been making this appetizer for many years, and it is high time I share the recipe with you all. As a Registered Dietitian, I love that it utilizes fresh, in-season tomatoes and simple ingredients.

Ready in about 15 minutes, I guarantee you won’t be able to just eat one of these bruschetta. The juicy tomatoes, sweet basil, creamy mozzarella cheese, and delicious pesto are the perfect flavor combination on top of crispy bread. They’re one of the best appetizers for a bbq or cookout!

Looking for more easy summer appetizers? Try my Mediterranean baked feta, nutritious beet tzatziki dip, or parmesan baked zucchini fries!

This tomato basil bruschetta with mozzarella recipe is a vegetarian appetizer. This recipe serves six to eight people as an appetizer, with about three bruschetta per person.

Ingredients in tomato, basil, mozzarella bruschetta with pesto

Besides olive oil, salt, and pepper, you need just five ingredients to make this recipe:

  • Baguette
  • Tomatoes
  • Fresh mozzarella cheese
  • Basil
  • Pesto – use homemade pesto or store-bought. In the summertime, my family uses locally made sun-dried tomato pesto from Pam’s Provisions on Martha’s Vineyard. If you happen to be an islander, definitely use this pesto to make bruschetta!

Kitchen tools needed

You need a baking sheet and a good knife for this recipe. Some items that are helpful to have include a pastry brush, a serrated knife to slice the tomatoes, and Maldon sea salt flakes for sprinkling on top of the bruschetta.

Box of maldon sea salt

Maldon Sea Salt Flakes

Crunchy sea salt flakes have a fresh intensity and clean taste containing the perfect balance of natural minerals to enhance any dish.

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Pesto bruschetta ingredients measured out on a light grey backdrop

What bread to use for bruschetta

For appetizer-sized bruschetta, my favorite bread to use is a crusty baguette. Other good breads to use for bruschetta include ciabatta, ciriola, or filone bread.

You want a pretty firm bread with a good crust so it can hold all the toppings! Stay away from soft sandwich bread, milk bread, brioche, or challah when making bruschetta.

How to make bruschetta

  1. Turn oven to a high broil.
  2. Sice baguette into 1/2 inch thick pieces.
  3. Arrange baguette slices on a baking sheet.
  4. Brush each slice with olive oil.
  5. Broil the bread for 2-5 minutes, until golden brown.
  6. Slice tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.
  7. Pick off full basil leaves from the stems.
  8. Assemble the bruschetta: Spread pesto on each toasted bread, then top with a slice of tomato, mozzarella cheese, and a basil leaf.
  9. Garnish with Maldon sea salt flakes and freshly cracked black pepper.
tray of tomato basil mozzarella bruschetta

What to serve with bruschetta

This bruschetta recipe is a perfect preview for an Italian or Mediterranean inspired meal. Try it with:

Tomatoes nutrition benefits

Tomatoes are filled with good-for-you ingredients. Technically considered a fruit, one cup of tomatoes provides:

  • 2.2 grams of dietary fiber (8 percent of your daily needs)
  • 75.6 mg Vitamin A (8 percent of your daily needs)
  • 24.7 mg Vitamin C (27 percent of your daily needs)
  • 14.2 mcg Vitamin K (12 percent of your daily needs)
  • 0.11 mg copper (11 percent of your daily needs)

The lycopene (a form of Vitamin A) in tomatoes acts as a powerful antioxidant. This compound has been linked to reduced risk of prostate cancer and supports heart health. Two other forms of Vitamin A found in tomatoes, zeaxanthin and lutein, are beneficial for eye health.

Let me know if you love this recipe by leaving a comment or star rating below, and check out Instagram and Pinterest for more healthy lifestyle inspiration. Thanks for stopping by!

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Tray of tomato basil mozzarella bruschetta

Tomato, Basil, Mozzarella Bruschetta with Pesto

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Description

This tomato, basil, mozzarella bruschetta recipe with pesto will be your new favorite easy appetizer when tomatoes are in season! Made with just five simple ingredients, they are ready to eat in about 15 minutes.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 baguette
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 container of your favorite pesto (or 1 batch homemade pesto)
  • 3 large tomatoes, thinly sliced then slices cut in half 
  • 2 large balls of fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into thin slices
  • Small bunch of basil, whole leaves picked off from stems
  • Maldon sea salt
  • Pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven on high broil.
  2. Slice baguette into slices about 1/2 inch thick.
  3. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet (you may need to use two baking sheets) in a single layer.
  4. Pour olive oil into a small bowl. Dip a pastry brush in the olive oil and brush each slice of bread with olive oil.
  5. Broil the bread for 2-5 minutes until slices are a nice golden brown. Turn off oven.
  6. Spread 1-2 teaspoons of pesto in a thin layer on each piece of bread.
  7. Top each piece with one slice of tomato, one slice of mozzarella cheese, and a basil leaf.
  8. Garnish with a sprinkle of Maldon sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
  9. Serve right away.

Notes

What bread to use for bruschetta

For appetizer-sized bruschetta, my favorite bread to use is a crusty baguette. Other good breads to use for bruschetta include ciabatta, ciriola, or filone bread.

You want a pretty firm bread with a good crust so it can hold all the toppings! Stay away from soft sandwich bread, milk bread, brioche, or challah when making bruschetta.