This Mortadella Sandwich is a daring, flavor-packed Italian panini stacked with creamy burrata cheese, layers of mortadella (an Italian chilly lower made out of pork), and recent pistachio-basil pesto on toasted ciabatta. It’s what I make after I need a picnic-worthy, deli-style sandwich that tastes like summer season trip in Tuscany.

Well-known Italian Panini Sandwich
This sandwich is impressed by Florence’s legendary All’Antico Vinaio sandwich store and their well-known “La Paradiso”—a wildly common Italian deli panini filled with salty, creamy, and herby flavors. It brings collectively traditional components like Bologna’s prized pistachio mortadella (a kind of Italian chilly lower made out of pork), Southern Italy’s beloved burrata, often known as stracciatella (creamy mozzarella cheese), and a savory pistachio cream or pesto.
For this sandwich, the normal bread is both ciabatta or schiacciata—a country Tuscan flatbread that’s crisp exterior and ethereal inside, made well-known by Florence’s All’Antico Vinaio. Should you can’t discover schiacciata, use ciabatta, focaccia, or one other crusty Italian bread.
What’s Mortadella?
Mortadella is an Italian chilly lower made out of finely floor pork, cubes of pork fats, and spices—typically with pistachios. It’s delicate, barely candy, and has a easy, silky texture. Mortadella originates from Bologna and is one among Italy’s oldest and most iconic cured meats, relationship again centuries.
Italian Mortadella vs. American Bologna
Mortadella and American bologna are associated, however they’re not the identical. Mortadella is the unique Italian sausage from Bologna, Italy—made with finely floor pork, cubes of pork fats, and typically pistachios or spices. It has a fragile, mildly spiced taste and an expensive, silky texture.
American bologna was impressed by mortadella however is often blander, made out of varied meats, and lacks the cubes of fats and conventional taste. So, mortadella is the true Italian traditional; American bologna is an easier, much less flavorful model.
What’s Burrata (Stracciatella)?
- Burrata is an Italian cheese made out of mozzarella and cream. It seems to be like a ball of recent mozzarella, however whenever you lower it open, it’s full of mushy, wealthy, creamy cheese curds and cream—this inside combination known as stracciatella. Burrata is buttery, delicate, and intensely creamy.
- Stracciatella is the mushy, shredded cheese combination contained in the burrata—primarily one of the best half!
- Each are delicate, buttery, and ultra-creamy, initially from Southern Italy and excellent for salads, sandwiches, or spreading on bread.
My #1 Tip for Mortadella Sandwiches
So as to add mortadella to this sandwich Italian-style, layer it generously and loosely—don’t simply slap on flat slices. Italians typically fold or ruffle the mortadella, piling up a number of skinny slices so that you get loads of ethereal, pillowy layers in every chunk. This provides the sandwich peak, quantity, and that genuine, eye-catching look. Don’t press it down; let the mortadella keep tall and alluring, identical to they do in Florence.
The Components & Substitutions
- Various Meats: Swap mortadella with prosciutto, salami, or turkey.
- Cheese: Substitute burrata with recent mozzarella or stracciatella cheese.
- Nut Substitutes: Use pine nuts, walnuts, or almonds as a substitute of pistachios.
- Make it Vegetarian: Omit the mortadella and add grilled veggies corresponding to zucchini, bell peppers, or eggplant.
- Breads: Experiment with completely different breads like baguette, sourdough, or focaccia.
- Extra Toppings: Embody sun-dried tomatoes, olive tapenade, or arugula leaves.
Learn how to Make Pistachio Pesto
- Mix basil, pistachios, and garlic in a meals processor till finely chopped.
- With the machine working, slowly drizzle in olive oil till easy, scraping down the perimeters as wanted.
- Add Parmesan and mix briefly, then season with salt and pepper to style.
Learn how to Make Mortadella Sandwich
- Slice the ciabatta rolls and brush the lower sides with olive oil.
- Toast, lower aspect down, in a skillet till golden and crisp.
- Generously unfold pesto on the toasted sides, then layer with mortadella and torn burrata.
- Sprinkle with black pepper and, when you like, a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
- High with the remaining ciabatta halves, pesto aspect down, and serve.
What to Serve with Mortadella Sandwich
- Arugula Salad with Apples, Cranberries, and Pecans
- Arugula Salad with Lemon Zest, Parmesan, and Balsamic Dressing
- Tomato Coconut Soup with Toasted Cashews
- Grilled Peaches
Extra Recipes with Burrata Cheese
Mortadella Sandwich with Burrata and Pistachio Pesto
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Components
For the Pistachio Pesto:
- 1½ cups recent basil leaves packed
- ⅓ cup shelled pistachios salted
- 2 cloves garlic
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese grated
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- salt and black pepper to style
For the Sandwich:
- 2 ciabatta rolls
- ¾ pound mortadella thinly sliced
- 8 ounces burrata cheese
- additional virgin olive oil for brushing
- black pepper
- balsamic glaze optionally available
Directions
Make Pistachio Pesto:
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Mix the basil leaves, pistachios, and garlic in a meals processor or blender. Pulse the combination till the components are finely chopped and effectively mixed.
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With the processor working on low pace, slowly drizzle within the extra-virgin olive oil. Proceed mixing till the combination turns into a easy and emulsified sauce, pausing often to scrape down the perimeters of the bowl with a spatula.
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Add the grated Parmesan cheese to the pesto and mix briefly to include it right into a cohesive sauce.
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Style and season with salt and pepper. Switch the pesto to a bowl and set it apart.
Assemble the Sandwich:
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Slice ciabatta rolls in half if not pre-sliced. Evenly brush the lower sides with additional virgin olive oil.
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Warmth a skillet over medium warmth. Place the ciabatta halves lower aspect down on the recent pan. Toast them for two to three minutes, or till the bread is golden brown and crispy.
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Generously unfold the pesto on the toasted sides of every ciabatta half.
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Divide the mortadella equally between the 2 sandwiches, layering beneficiant quantities over the pesto on the underside half of every roll.
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Tear the burrata cheese into items and distribute it evenly over the mortadella on every sandwich.
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Sprinkle a pinch of freshly floor black pepper over the fillings. If desired, drizzle on slightly balsamic glaze.
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Place the highest half of the ciabatta roll over the fillings, pesto aspect down.
Notes
- Make Forward: If you must put together the sandwiches forward of time, assemble them with out the pesto and burrata to forestall sogginess. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and retailer within the fridge for as much as 1 day.
- Leftovers: Devour any leftover assembled sandwiches inside 24 hours for the very best quality and security.
- Adjusting for Salted Pistachios: Because the pistachios and Parmesan cheese are salty, give the pesto a style earlier than including any additional salt.
- Pesto Consistency: In case your pesto is simply too thick, you may skinny it out with slightly extra olive oil or a splash of heat water. You may as well use my creamy basil pesto as a substitute of pistachio pesto.
- Serving Strategies: Serve the sandwich with a easy aspect salad (arugula salad works particularly effectively), kettle chips, strawberry mocktail, and even grilled peaches in the summertime.
Pesto Storage:
- Fridge: Place any leftover pesto in an hermetic container. Pour a skinny layer of olive oil on high to attenuate air publicity and stop browning. Retailer within the fridge for as much as 5 days.
- Freezer: You may as well freeze the pesto in ice dice trays. As soon as frozen, switch the pesto cubes to a freezer-safe bag or container. They are often saved for as much as 3 months. Thaw within the fridge earlier than use.