Italian Bread Dip

This Italian bread dip combines extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic glaze, cherry tomatoes, Castelvetrano olives, fresh garlic, Parmesan, and red pepper flakes for a stunning restaurant-style appetizer ready in 10 minutes.

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Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: bread dip

Ingredients

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 to 3 tbsp balsamic glaze
1 pint cherry tomatoes finely diced
1/2 cup Castelvetrano olives pitted and diced
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
2 to 3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes or to taste
Crusty bread or baguette for dipping

Instructions

Pour the olive oil onto a wide, shallow serving plate or bowl.
Drizzle the balsamic glaze over the olive oil.
Scatter the diced cherry tomatoes, diced olives, and minced garlic over the top.
Sprinkle the Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, and freshly grated Parmesan evenly across the surface.
Serve immediately with thick slices of crusty bread or a sliced baguette for dipping.

Notes

Use a wide, shallow bowl or plate rather than a deep bowl so every dip gets a bit of everything rather than just oil.
Castelvetrano olives are mild, buttery, and slightly sweet which makes them the right choice here. Kalamata olives can substitute for a more assertive, brinier flavor.
Freshly grated Parmesan from a block dissolves into the oil much more beautifully than pre-grated. Use a Microplane for the finest, most evenly distributed result.
Warm the bread before serving. Warm, slightly crusty bread against the room temperature dip is the best possible version of this appetizer.