Roasted Garlic and Tomato Bread
on May 10, 2019, Updated Aug 13, 2023
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Garlic bread moves up a notch.
This delicious take on garlic bread trades in minced raw garlic for the slightly mellower and softer taste of roasted garlic, and a pop of color and flavor from roasted tomatoes. It is the perfect companion to any Italian meal, or any meal that you want to make extra special. Try it with Baked Tortellini, Creamy Fettuccine Alfredo, or a rib eye steak seared up on the stove.
Garlic bread is one of those somewhat retro-feeling indulgences, right? You forget about it (because, really, you’re not supposed to think about garlic bread, are you? Sure you are), and then one day a waiter puts down a basket of hot, buttery, oil-laced garlic bread on the table, announced by its delightfully assertive and unmistakable aroma, and if you even think for a minute you can resist you are a better woman than I.
You can roast the garlic and tomatoes on the same baking sheet at 375 or 400°F for about 30 minutes, then take out the tomatoes and let the garlic roast on for a bit if it’s not super soft (just give it a squeeze in the tin foil to check)—it is not an exact science, just until they are both soft.
This recipe features the mellower taste of roasted garlic and a pop of flavor from roasted tomatoes.
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For more detailed instructions about roasting garlic, click here, and for more detailed instructions about roasting tomatoes, click here!
So, when I made this for the photos, Cheyenne Cohen, my friend and a hellofa photographer, said, “Oh my god, is that garlic bread!” She then proceeded to eat her way through pretty much the whole loaf during the course of the day, and happily took home the leftover roasted tomato-garlic paste for another batch. I am not garlic bread shaming her (and she’s not the type of person to be garlic bread shamed)—I am bragging. That, my friends, is a successful recipe.
Using the Leftover Paste
You will have some leftover paste probably—save it for a few days and make another small baguette or two, or you could stir the paste into a pot of rice, or toss it with some hot pasta. Or spread it on a crostini and top with some cheese. Once you taste it you will certainly come up with loads of ideas for how to use it. You can also blend in a little Sundried Tomato Pesto for even more flavor.
You can skip the cheese on top if you don’t want it. And if you do, any finely grated hard cheese would be great, so whatever you have on hand.
I might also add in some fresh herbs next time, when you are pureeing the garlic and tomatoes—oregano would be great, or thyme, or basil. I would start with 1 teaspoon thyme or oregano leaves, or 1 tablespoon chopped basil.
Helpful Tip for Slicing the Bread
This Roasted Garlic and Tomato Bread recipe calls for slicing the bread before putting it into the oven, but not cutting it all the way through. If you want a little help in knowing when to stop slicing, place two chopsticks alongside the loaves, one on each side, and when you cut the slices stop just as the blade hits the top of the chopsticks.
Other Bread Recipes to Try:
- Roasted Garlic and Tomato Bread
- Best Garlic Bread Ever
- Spinach Parsley Pesto Garlic Bread
- Salsa Verde Garlic Bread
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Roasted Garlic and Tomato Bread
Ingredients
- 3 12-inch loaves Italian bread cut almost all the way through into 12 slices each (see Note)
- 4 tablespoons butter at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 medium Roasted Tomatoes seeded and skins removed
- 1 head roasted garlic
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a food processor, add the butter, olive oil, roasted tomatoes, roasted garlic, salt and pepper. Puree.
- Slice the bread crosswise, making sure not to cut all the way through the bottom of the loaf. If you want a little help in knowing when to stop slicing, place two chopsticks alongside the loaves, one on each side, and when you cut the slices stop just as the blade hits the top of the chopsticks. Smear both sides of each slice of bread, still attached in the loaf with the garlic butter mixture. Place each loaf on a piece of tin foil, and pull the edges up, but don't wrap it fully (see the photos).
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the outside is crispy. Sprinkle on the cheese if desired and return to the oven for one more minute. Serve hot.
I made a ton of this with soup and salad for a group of friends and the bread was gone before we started our soup!! Will triple the recipe next time.
I think all garlic bread recipes are meant to be tripled.