Pesto Caprese Focaccia Sandwich

Name: Pesto Caprese Focaccia Sandwich
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: Slab of focaccia (see my Whisk profile for focaccia recipes or search overnight focaccia or same-day focaccia on Whisk); Fresh basil pesto; extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle; aged balsamic vinegar (or balsamic glaze, to drizzle); vine ripened tomatoes, sliced into rounds; Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle; 1 clove of garlic, minced finely; splash of aged balsamic (or balsamic glaze); flaky sea salt; fresh cracked black pepper; fresh basil leaves, chopped finely; Fresh mozzarella cheese (or burrata); arugula; parmigiano reggiano shavings; extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle; aged balsamic (or balsamic glaze, to drizzle); Flaky sea salt, to taste; freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

9 steps

Prep:20min

Homemade focaccia piled high with pesto, marinated tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, arugula, parmigiano reggiano, olive oil and some aged balsamic vinegar. I haven't put quantities for this sandwich recipe because you can add as much as you'd like for your particular size of bread. If you're using an entire 9x13 slab of focaccia, plan to use at least 4-5 large tomatoes and 5 balls of mozzarella (125g). Once the entire slab sandwich is assembled, cut into desired size - it will make 6-8 full sized sandwiches or 12-16 smaller sandwiches.

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 08:44:28 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Unbalanced

Glycemic Index

Low

Glycemic Load

Low

Nutrition per serving

Calories70.1 kcal (4%)

Total Fat4.8 g (7%)

Carbs4.7 g (2%)

Sugars2.6 g (3%)

Protein2 g (4%)

Sodium233.1 mg (12%)

Fiber0.3 g (1%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

12 servings

Instructions

Marinate the tomatoes

Step 1

Slice your tomatoes into rounds and place into a bowl with a good drizzle of olive oil, a splash of balsamic vinegar, a sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper, one clove of finely minced garlic and some fresh basil leaves (chopped finely). Make sure the tomatoes are evenly coated with the marinade.

Step 2

Let the tomatoes sit and marinate for at least 10/15 minutes before using. While the tomatoes are marinating you can drain your fresh mozzarella and slice it. I always dab mine with a paper towel at this stage to remove excess moisture.

Assemble the sandwich

Step 3

If you're baking your own focaccia, wait for it to cool completely before assembling. You can find all my focaccia recipes on my Whisk profile or by searching the communities on Whisk - search for Lace Bakes and my entire library of recipes can be found there.

Step 4

Cut your slab of focaccia horizontally so you have two halves of bread to assemble your sandwich.

Step 5

Spread a generous amount of pesto to the top side of the focaccia and drizzle the bottom side with a little extra virgin olive oil and some thick aged balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze.

Step 6

Now place the marinated tomato slices in an even layer across the olive oil/vinegar side of the focaccia. Place the mozzarella slices into an even layer on top of the tomato slices. Drizzle the mozzarella with a little extra virgin olive oil and aged balsamic and sprinkle with a little flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Step 7

Now scatter a good handful of arugula over the cheese and top that with a sprinkling of parmigiano reggiano shavings. Drizzle the salad with a little extra virgin olive oil.

Step 8

Carefully place the top of the focaccia (the side with the pesto) on top of the rest of the sandwich and squish it down. Enjoy!

Cutting slab of focaccia for mini sandwiches

Step 9

If you're using an entire slab of focaccia to make a ton of sandwiches for entertaining, you'll now portion the slab into your desired sizes. I tend to make a cut through the sandwich down the middle (spanning the shorter length), then cut each of those halves in half and then cut across the entire length (spanning the longer length). This will give you 8 decent sized sandwiches. Cut them in half once more if you'd like the perfect sized sandwiches for sharing platters (yields 16). Popping a toothpick into each mini sandwich helps to keep them together.