Bruschetta with Melted Mozzarella, in fact.

That title gives away this entire bruschetta recipe.  This one is way overdue, because I’ve been making variations of this for the last five years.  Bruschetta is such a crowd pleaser, and it’s so easy to make.  This bruschetta with mozzarella is even better than the rest.

Loosely based upon a recipe from a restaurant I at which I used to bartend, this bruschetta steps up the flavor game with gooey, melted mozzarella over the crusty bread and tomatoes.  The melted mozzarella is drizzled with a balsamic glaze, and topped with fresh basil.  I don’t know if bruschetta can get any better!

What ingredients do I need?

• Baguette
• Pesto (I used store bought!)
• Roma tomatoes
• Olive oil, salt, and pepper
• Fresh mozzarella
• Balsamic glaze (or a balsamic reduction)
• Fresh basil 

Is this bruschetta hot or cold?

This bruschetta can be served either way.  If you like the warm, melted mozzarella approach, serve these just after you drizzle on that balsamic glaze.  But if you need these to travel, they are still super delicious when served at room temperature!  I’ve served them both ways, and people love them no matter how they are served!

How to make the best version of this bruschetta:

1. Slice the baguette between 1/4″ – 1/2″ thick.  The baguette needs to carry the pesto, oven roasted tomatoes, and mozzarella, and it needs to stand up to the oven heat a second time around. Cut it between 1/4″ – 1/2″ thick so it can withstand everything!  
2. Use tomatoes that will fit onto your baguette slices. I use Roma tomatoes (or plum tomatoes) for this recipe, because the baguette that I use is about the same diameter as a Roma tomato.  The tomatoes will shrink once they are roasted in the oven, so do keep that in mind.  If you find a baguette that is larger in diameter, simply use tomatoes that are roughly the same size.  Oven roasted tomatoes are delicious no matter what variety they are!
3. Use pesto with a good amount of garlic. A great way to impart more flavor into this recipe is to use garlic. I originally rubbed the toasted baguette slices with a garlic clove, and then topped them with pesto.  I love garlic, so this was so delicious to me! I omitted this step though because not everyone is a giant garlic fan, and if your’e serving this to a group of people, it’s good to play it safe!  However, pesto will have garlic in it, so the flavor will still be there! Taste the pesto before using it so you know what you’re working with.  Need more garlic? Just use my garlic clove trick on the toasted baguette slices!
4. Season the baguette slices and the tomatoes.  After drizzling the baguette slices and tomatoes with olive oil, season each of them with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Building flavor in this recipe makes a big difference!
5. Don’t use too much mozzarella.  I use a pre-sliced log of mozzarella for this recipe, then rip the slices in half for this bruschetta.  Too much mozzarella will result in it just melting all over the place, and possibly being wasted.  Center the mozzarella as best you can onto the bruschetta before melting it: you want it to evenly spread across the bruschetta as it melts.
6. Balsamic glaze (or balsamic reduction) is best!  Balsamic vinegar alone can be overly acidic, and doesn’t adhere to the bruschetta as well as a glaze or reduction.  I use the balsamic glaze from Trader Joe’s from this recipe, because it’s incredibly delicious.  It also saves me from another cooking step (and dishes!)  If you’d rather make your own balsamic reduction, I recommend this recipe from Cafe Delites (it makes 1/2 cup).

Other party food recipes:

• Roasted Jalapeño Artichoke Dip
• Baked Goat Cheese Bites with Fire Roasted Pepper & Tomato Sauce
• Buffalo Chicken Dip
• THE BEST Guacamole 🙂
• Pork Carnitas Sliders
• BLT Sliders

If you make this bruschetta recipe, please tag me on Instagram so I can see your awesome creation!  And as always, feel free to reach out to me directly if you have any questions.  If you comment and rate this recipe below, I would also very much appreciate it!

xx Sara

Recipe Card

4.74 from 15 votes

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Oven-Roasted Tomato Bruschetta with Mozzarella and Pesto

Author Sara

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Servings 18 pieces

Delicious buschetta made with oven-roasted tomatoes, pesto, fresh mozzarella, and balsamic glaze. A huge hit for any party!

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

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Ingredients

 

For the Oven-Roasted Tomatoes:

• ▢ 4 roma tomatoes
• ▢ olive oil
• ▢ salt & freshly cracked black pepper

For the Crostini:

• ▢ 1 baguette
• ▢ olive oil
• ▢ salt & freshly cracked black pepper

For the Bruschetta:

• ▢ 1/2 cup pesto
• ▢ 8 ounces fresh mozzarella sliced
• ▢ 1/3 cup balsamic glaze
• ▢ 1/2 cup fresh basil

Instructions

For Oven-Roasted Tomatoes:

• Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
• Slice the Roma tomatoes into about 1/2" slices, about 5 slices per tomato. Spread the tomato slices onto the baking sheet with parchment paper. Drizzle tomatoes with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast at 375 F for 25-30 minutes, until softened and slightly caramelized. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

For the Crostini:

• While the tomatoes are roasting, slice the baguette into 1/4"-1/2" thick slices to get about 18 slices. Lay the sliced baguette on a separate baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 375 F for 3-5 minutes until crisp, then remove from the oven and allow to cool as the tomatoes finish roasting.

To Build the Bruschetta:

• Spread pesto onto each baguette slice, then top each with an oven-roasted tomato. Divide the mozzarella slices amongst the crostini.* Bake these at 375 for about 3-4 minutes until the mozzarella has melted.
• Remove from the oven, and allow to cool slightly. Drizzle with balsamic glaze, and top with fresh basil leaves.

Notes

*Tear some mozzarella slices into halves for smaller baguette slices, if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1piece | Calories: 128kcal

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