Pan con tomate y sardinas

Pan con tomate proves that the best, simplest ingredients don’t need much to taste delicious.

The best, ripest tomatoes you can find, delicious rustic bread, garlic and good-quality olive oil: that’s all you need.

The sardines give this simple dish, which has its origins in Spanish tapas, a delicious, salty touch. If you don’t like fish or don’t have any sardines, simply leave them out and stick to the original pan con tomate.

Serves 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes

  • Ingrediënts

    • 4–6 ripe tomatoes
    • A generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
    • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
    • 1 garlic clove, crushed
    • 4 thick slices of good bread
    • 1 garlic clove, halved
    • 1 tin of sardines in olive oil

  • Method

    Wash the tomatoes and grate them on the coarse side of a box grater until only the skins remain. Discard the skins.

    Leave the grated tomatoes to drain in a sieve for a few minutes to remove the excess juice, reserving the juice if you like – it's delicious to drink. Stir the olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper into the tomato pulp.

    Toast the bread on a griddle pan, over a barbecue or an open fire, or simply in a toaster. While still warm, rub each slice with the cut side of the halved garlic clove.
    Spoon the tomato mixture generously over the toast and finish with the sardines.

This recipe is part of a culinary series published in Seasons Magazine in Summer 2025.

Recipes, photography & styling Anna Rubingh

Photography, words & recipes: © Anna Rubingh