Description
A grilled vegetarian muffuletta sandwich packed with pesto, olive tapenade, mozzarella, and roasted peppers. Perfect for a light lunch or summer dinner.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 large eggplant (1 large eggplant) large eggplant
- 1 loaf rustic bread (1 loaf) rustic bread
- 1 jar roasted peppers (1 jar) roasted peppers
- 1/2 cups (118 ml) pesto 1/2 cups (118 ml) pesto
- 1/2 cups (118 ml) olive tapenade 1/2 cups (118 ml) olive tapenade
- 8 ounces (227 g) fresh mozzarella cheese 8 ounces (227 g) fresh mozzarella cheese
- 1 handful arugula 1 handful arugula
- 3 cloves garlic 3 cloves garlic
- 2 ounces (57 g) fresh basil leaves 2 ounces (57 g) fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil (8 tablespoons) olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) toasted pinenuts 1/4 cup (60 ml) toasted pinenuts
- 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Other options - turkey breast (cured Italian meats, artichoke hearts, grilled zucchini, grilled portobello mushrooms)
Instructions
- If using eggplant, preheat grill to medium-high heat (approximately 375°F – 190°C). Alternatively, roast the eggplant in a 400°F (204°C) oven until golden and tender.
- Slice the eggplant into ¼ inch disks, brush with olive oil, and season with salt.
- While the grill is warming up, make the pesto. Place all pesto ingredients in a food processor and pulse repeatedly until you achieve the desired consistency. Scrape into a bowl.
- Using the same food processor (no need to rinse), make the olive tapenade. Add the parsley and garlic first and pulse until uniformly chopped. Then add the remaining ingredients except the capers, which you will stir in at the end. Pulse repeatedly until nicely chopped but not smooth. Place in a bowl and stir in the capers. Add chili flakes if desired.
- Grill the eggplant, searing both sides for 4-5 minutes each side. Turn the heat down if it’s too hot. Then, place the eggplant slices in a foil packet to steam for a few minutes to cook through. Ensure the eggplant is cooked through.
- Cut a loaf of bread horizontally in half, leaving a good inch on the bottom layer.
- Spread the bottom layer with half the pesto.
- Build the sandwich on a cutting board. Top with eggplant (salt it now, if needed), roasted peppers, fresh mozzarella, olive tapenade, and arugula.
- Spread the top layer of bread with the remaining pesto and place it on top. Press down gently.
- Serve immediately and cut into sections with a sharp knife, or refrigerate it on a layer of paper towels on a plate or platter. Cover with plastic wrap and enjoy for the next few days.
Notes
- For easier grilling, slice the eggplant thinly and brush generously with olive oil to prevent sticking.
- To enhance the flavor, lightly toast the muffuletta bread before assembling the sandwich.
- Leftover grilled eggplant can be stored separately and used in salads or other dishes for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Sandwich
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 700
- Fat: 25
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Unsaturated Fat: 15
- Carbohydrates: 60
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 15
- Cholesterol: 40