Juicy Tomatoes With Parmesan-Olive Bread Crumbs

By Christian Reynoso

Published July 22, 2022

Juicy Tomatoes With Parmesan-Olive Bread Crumbs
Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
40 minutes
Rating
4(633)
Comments
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This mouthwatering salad of ripe, juicy tomatoes is dressed with a quick, vinegary dressing and finished with cheesy, garlicky bread crumbs, which bring pizza flavors to this summery dish. The tomatoes are salted for seasoning, but also to make their sweet juices pool out, creating a saucy base. Made with a combination of Parmesan, olives, garlic, spices and citrus zest, the bread crumbs can be prepared one week in advance. (Store in an airtight container and “refresh” them by warming them in the oven or on a stove-top until crisp and fragrant. Make extra to go on caramelized zucchini pasta or even lemony shrimp and white bean stew) Serve the tomatoes as a grand appetizer, or as a light supper with grilled chicken or steak. 

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings 
  • 2pounds ripe tomatoes (such as a mix of cherry, campari and heirloom varieties)
  • Salt and black pepper 
  • 5ounces day-old country-style bread without crust
  • 1½ounces thinly shaved or coarsely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • 3ounces pitted green olives (such as Castelvetrano, picholine or Cerignola), roughly chopped
  • 2teaspoons finely grated orange or lemon zest (or a combination)
  • 1teaspoon fennel seeds or red-pepper flakes (or a combination)
  • 2garlic cloves
  • 6tablespoons olive oil
  • 4tablespoons red or white wine vinegar 
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

399 calories; 28 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 18 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 28 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 10 grams protein; 775 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Slice larger tomatoes into ½-inch rounds or wedges, and cut smaller tomatoes in half and spread out on a serving platter or individual plates. Season them generously with salt and also black pepper, if you’d like.

  2. Step 2

    Tear the bread into small, 1-inch pieces, then pulse in a food processor until you have coarse crumbs.

  3. Step 3

    In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs, cheese, olives, zest, fennel seeds and red-pepper flakes, if using. Finely grate the garlic into the bowl then add 2 tablespoons olive oil and toss everything together very well.

  4. Step 4

    Transfer the bread-crumb mixture to a sheet pan and place on a middle rack in the oven. Toast, stirring two or three times, until the crumbs are golden brown, the olives have shriveled slightly and your kitchen starts to smell a little like a pizzeria, 17 to 23 minutes. Let cool completely.

  5. Step 5

    To serve, drizzle the tomatoes with the vinegar followed by the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil. Just before you’re ready to serve, sprinkle the bread-crumb mixture over the top.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
633 user ratings
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Comments

Beau Gibson

The 325f(162c) is a bit high for the bread crumbs. It works, just much faster, so be careful not to burn them. A lower temperature around 250f(121c) would probably ky be a safer bet.

dimmerswitch

These crumbs are "IT"! Mixed them with hand and after I popped the mixture into oven, I stood and licked the remainder off my fingers. I knew then that they were going to be fantabulous once oven toasted. And they were! Although at 325, stirring twice, it only took about 11'ish minutes to perfect golden brown - would reduce temp to 300 if wanting to go 17+ min of recipe. Used picholine olives and so worth the effort to pit the little darlings for their flavor here.

Joyce McKinney

I used this as a pasta sauce with orecchiette. Instead of slices, I chunked the tomatoes. Easy, delicious raw pasta sauce.

drbbbaldwin

I used a leftover heel of garlic bread for the bread crumbs. Extra yummy!

Mary

The crumbs really do taste like pizza. I'll be doing this again as tomato season winds down.

KS

Look the breadcrumbs are a pain in the … but it’s wonderful. Great way to let summer tomatoes shine in a caprese-adjacent salad that’s a nice substitute for those who can’t eat the dairy in a caprese (which doesn’t apply to me, but I imagine makes a difference for some)

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