Italian Focaccia Sandwich
This Italian focaccia sandwich is fresh, flavour-packed and surprisingly easy to make. Perfect for lunch, picnics or whenever you’re craving something a little more special.
Servings: 4
Equipment
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
- Food Processor (for pesto)
- Paper Towels (for tomatoes)
- Brush (for vinegar)
Ingredients
Pistachio Pesto (sub regular store-bought - see notes)
- 1oz / 30g Fresh Basil Leaves
- 1oz / 30g shelled Pistachios (weight is nut without the shell)
- 1/4 cup / 60ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/4 cup / 20g freshly grated Parmesan
- 1 very small clove of Garlic
- 1/4 tsp Salt, or to taste
- 1/8 tsp Black Pepper, or to taste
Focaccia Sandwich
- 1x 8x5" loaf of Focaccia (see notes)
- 1x 5.3oz/150g ball of Burrata (see notes)
- 1 large Tomato, sliced (fresh as possible)
- Red Wine Vinegar, as needed (just enough to lightly brush over the tomatoes)
- 4oz / 120g Salami
- handful of Arugula/Rocket
- handful of Pistachios, roughly crushed/sliced
- Flaky Sea Salt, as needed (sub regular salt)
- Cracked Black Pepper, as needed
Instructions
- For the pesto, add everything to a food processor and blitz until smooth. Check for seasoning and adjust if needed, then place to one side. You may need to stop and scrape the sides once or twice.
- Carefully slice the focaccia through the centre to make two even halves. Open the burrata and distribute it across the base slice as evenly as you can, then season with a good pinch of salt and pepper.
- Pat the sliced tomato with paper towels to remove excess moisture, then lay it across the burrata. Lightly brush with vinegar, then season with a good pinch of salt.
- Add the salami on top of the tomatoes. I like to fold/scrunch it to create height and texture in the sandwich. Add arugula/rocket, then sprinkle over some crushed pistachios.
- Spread the pesto on the top slice, ensuring it's covered evenly. Don't feel like you need to use it all (tightly store leftovers in the fridge).
- Plonk the top slice on top, slice into 4, then serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
a) Pesto - I love pistachio pesto in this sandwich, but you could sub with a good store-bought basil pesto. The recipe makes 1/2 cup (~120g), but as mentioned, you may not use it all. So, if you're getting store-bought pesto, then aim for around that weight.
b) Focaccia - These measurements are based on an 8x5" loaf of Focaccia. I get a Rosemary & Sea Salt loaf from Sainsbury's, although I believe some other supermarkets may sell something similar. If your loaf is a different size, just use your best judgement to adjust the filling quantities as needed.
c) Burrata - You'll find this in nearly all supermarkets these days. I actually used a pot of mini burrata to film because they looked cute. Burrata is great because it's nice and creamy, but if you don't want to use it or can't find it, fresh mozzarella is the next best thing. Bonus points if you can find Stracciatella (the inside of burrata).
d) Calories - whole sandwich divided by 4 assuming all of the pesto is used.
Nutrition
Calories: 583kcal | Carbohydrates: 28.67g | Protein: 24.07g | Fat: 41.93g | Saturated Fat: 12.081g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5.162g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22.739g | Trans Fat: 0.197g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 1345mg | Potassium: 419mg | Fiber: 2.7g | Sugar: 3.17g | Vitamin A: 1056IU | Vitamin C: 6.6mg | Calcium: 303mg | Iron: 3.38mg