Laura and I have been talking for years about how fun it would be to open a small sandwich shop. The menu would be limited, but we would use the best ingredients possible.
The sandwich shop idea came to us when we were sitting on the Italian island of Capri about 10 years ago. We had stopped in a grocery store that made sandwiches-to-order at their deli counter. I went with a classic salami, fresh mozzarella cheese and pesto on chewy Italian bread. Laura went with something similar, but hers included marinated artichokes and a tomato on the side.
I was craving a good sandwich last week, and I decided to grab some Italian ingredients at the grocery store. The result was a batch of these Salami Pesto Sandwiches. They’re not necessarily a classic Italian sandwich, but they are loaded with classic Italian ingredients. There is SO much flavor packed between those slices of bread!
This recipe is more of a concept than an actual recipe. Sure, I included amounts and ingredients below for what we made – but you can easily adapt this recipe for your own personal tastes.
I chose to lightly toast these Salami Pesto Sandwiches, but they could easily be served cold or room temperature. In fact, if you wrapped this sammiches tightly in plastic wrap, you could turn ’em into a summer picnic in a local park. (Mental note to my future self: make another batch of these sandwiches and have a picnic in a local park!)
The key to these sandwiches is making sure you use quality, fresh ingredients. Ask the deli counter to slice the salami for you. Make sure to use fresh mozzarella instead of shredded. Grab some fresh basil and arugula (rocket) for sprinkling on top. Oh, and bread. Make sure to grab a crusty, chewy bread. This sandwich wouldn’t work on classic white bread. Go with ciabatta rolls or slice up a long baguette. Layer it all together and enjoy!
I hope this recipe inspires you to make a batch of delicious Italian sandwiches. We really enjoyed these here in our house, and I hope you do, too!
Layered with all sorts of delicious Italian ingredients, these Salami Pesto Sandwiches are packed with flavor!
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 576 kcal
4 ciabatta rolls or sub rolls sliced 1 Tbsp softened ¼ cup prepared basil pesto 2 large tomatoes sliced 1 Tbsp 1 tsp Italian seasonings ½ tsp 8 oz. hard salame thinly sliced 8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese thinly sliced ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes drained ¼ cup baby arugula ¼ cup ADVERTISEMENT
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Using a baking sheet, place rolls cut side up; spread butter evenly on each roll.
Bake for 3-4 minutes.
Remove rolls from oven and spread the pesto evenly onto the top halves of the rolls; set top halves aside.
Place tomatoes on the bottom halves of the rolls. Drizzle tomatoes with olive oil and sprinkle Italian seasonings and kosher salt evenly on top.
Place the salame, mozzarella and sun-dried tomatoes on top. Bake the bottom halves of the sandwiches for another 3-4 minutes.
Remove sandwiches from oven and top with arugula, basil leaves and the tops of the rolls (brushed with pesto from above).
