Italian Breakfast Bruschetta – How to Love Cooking
Italian Breakfast Bruschetta
For those who haven’t been introduced yet, bruschetta is toast’s fancier, Italian cousin.
Hailing from one of the most beautiful countries in the world, bruschetta, in its simplest form, consists of toasted bread slices flavored with raw garlic, olive oil, and salt. Over time, food lovers got creative with the appetizer. Now, you can find exactly three bajillion different takes on the basic recipe. With this bruschetta recipe, there are now three bajillion and one.
Oh, and if you’ve ever had a heated debate with friends or family over how this dish is pronounced, allow me to help. It’s brroo-SKEHT-ta, with a hard ‘k’ sound. The ‘h’ after the ‘c’ gives it that hard ‘k’ pronunciation.
Italian language studies were a big part of my singing and opera training. I spent a scorching hot summer over there between undergrad and grad school, and even went on to teach the phonetic pronunciation of foreign languages post-graduation, so you can totally trust me on this. It’s bruschetta with a ‘k’ sound.
Now that we have fabulous pronunciation, let’s talk breakfast bruschetta! When I came up with this (super easy) recipe, I simply turned to what I love most in life – breakfast, bread, cheese, & fresh flavors.
For the cooking weary, take heart. The only cooking involved here is toasting bread and scrambling eggs. Everything else is prepared and assembled.
Now, let’s talk scrambled eggs for a moment. I went through most of my life indifferently scrambling my eggs over high heat. You know, where they stick to the pan, smell kind of funny and get hard and rubbery? Yeah, yuck. I accepted that kind of mediocrity for years until I discovered, via another food blogger, the magic and wonder that is the soft-scrambled egg.
With the soft-scramble, your eggs will not be done in 30 seconds. You will also have to pay them very close attention and care. Please note that beautiful (and delicious) things take time and great care (#generallifetip). However, if you are looking to achieve luscious, creamy scrambled eggs from this point forward, it’s time to get on board the soft-scramble train.
Italian Breakfast Bruschetta – How to Love Cooking
I know I’ve talked it up, but the method is quite simple. Crack your eggs into a bowl and scramble them well with a whisk or fork. Then, over low heat, in a pan containing a bit of melted butter or oil (just enough to coat the pan), slowly add in your eggs. Temperature is super important here. Too high heat = rubber eggs = sadness.
Next, with a silicone or wooden spatula (I like silicone best), immediately begin stirring your eggs, and do not stop. It will take a few extra minutes for the eggs to come together, but it will be worth it, I promise. Keep in mind that the residual heat will continue to cook the eggs once you take them out of the pan, so removing them a few seconds early is ideal.
The end result is a silky heap of breakfast goodness that is wonderful on its own or as part of this balanced breakfast bruschetta.
To make the eggs for the this recipe, I added half of a teaspoon of garlic powder to the two scrambled eggs before cooking them. It adds a subtle flavor that pairs well with the other ingredients and maintains that original garlic element from the classic bruschetta recipe.
Once the eggs are cooked, here’s how to put the rest of the toast together. Toast four slices (about one half-inch thick) of your favorite store bought or homemade Italian bread. Spread a generous amount of garlic-herb goat cheese on each slice. (This cheese is another fantastic find from ALDI.) Top the bread and cheese with the scrambled egg, some chopped sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil. Lastly, sprinkle salt and pepper on top along with a drizzle of olive oil. Meravigliosa! You’ve got yourself a hearty breakfast twist on classic bruschetta.
You can stick to these ingredients or substitute your favorites. A drizzle of pesto, fresh tomato, or sautéed, chopped mushrooms would also work fabulously.
Whether you’re enjoying breakfast or brunch with a friend or da solo, this bruschetta recipe will be sure to satisfy and delight.
Buon Appetito!
Italian Breakfast Bruschetta – How to Love Cooking
- 4 slices (about ½-inch thick) of Italian bread, toasted
- Garlic and herb goat cheese, softened slightly (As much or as little as you want!)
- 2 eggs
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 4-5 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 4-5 basil leaves, chopped
- 1 tsp butter
- Olive Oil, to drizzle
- Salt & Pepper, to season
- Crack two eggs into a small bowl, and scramble well with a whisk or fork. (Pro tip: Crack your eggs on a flat surface, rather than the edge of the bowl. This prevents tiny bits of shell from breaking inward and getting into your scrambled eggs. Boo!)
- Add the garlic powder to the eggs and mix well.
- In a small frying pan, over low heat, melt about a tsp of butter and swirl it around until the butter coats the surface of the pan.
- Gently pour the eggs into the pan, and begin stirring with slow strokes to break up the egg mixture.
- Keep stirring the eggs with your spatula over low heat the entire time. It will take a few minutes longer to cook the eggs, but don't worry, you will begin to see them come together.
- Once the eggs appear to have silky, slightly shiny curds, remove them from the pan.
- To build your breakfast bruschetta:
- Take 4 slices of toasted Italian bread and spread a generous amount of the softened garlic and herb goat cheese on each slice. (Substitution: If you can't find this kind of goat cheese at ALDI, feel free to use plain goat cheese or an herbed cream cheese as an alternative.)
- Pile a good amount of your soft-scrambled eggs on top of the bread and cheese.
- Sprinkle the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and chopped fresh basil on each bruschetta.
- Drizzle with a touch of olive oil, and sprinkle salt & pepper to taste.
- Enjoy your filling and delicious breakfast!
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