Caprese Sandwich – A Couple Cooks

This Caprese sandwich is a shocking crowd pleaser! Layer tomatoes, mozzarella and pesto aioli for a splash of taste.

What’s higher than the basic mixture of tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil? Not a lot, in our opinion. So do this summery delight: the Caprese sandwich! This riff on the basic Italian salad from Capri layers the basic substances as a sandwich filling, with an irresistibly creamy, pesto aioli that provides a pop of savory brightness to every chunk. It’s the proper thought for a straightforward no-cook summer time dinner, picnics, and extra. When our son Larson tried a chunk, he mentioned, “Can we eat this daily?” We felt the identical!

Components in a Caprese sandwich

A Caprese sandwich is a sandwich that makes use of the substances within the basic Italian Caprese salad: tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. There are lots of variations on this idea, generally utilizing arugula, balsamic vinegar, or different spreads to brighten the sandwich. The standard Italian model of Caprese salad doesn’t use balsamic vinegar or discount and we don’t assume the flavour pairs accurately, so that you gained’t want that right here. For this recipe, we’ve used our fan-favorite pesto aioli as a creamy unfold that provides a pop of savory taste to every chunk.

Right here’s what you’ll want for this Caprese sandwich:

• Ciabatta bread or different artisan bread: This Italian bread is smooth and ideal for sandwiches! Avoid a French baguette, which might be powerful to chunk via. Another sort of artisan bread works!
• Ripe tomatoes: It is a should! This sandwich solely works with the ripest, juiciest tomatoes, very like an excellent BLT.
• Recent mozzarella cheese: Buy it in an 8 ounce ball and slice off slices for the sandwich.
• Recent basil: All you want is a handful of leaves per sandwich.
• Child arugula: Arugula provides a little bit of texture and taste variation. Be certain to purchase child arugula in a field or bag, which has a feathery texture and milder taste. Keep away from mature arugula that’s offered in bunches: the flavour is simply too sturdy.
• Pesto aioli: That is the kicker! The pesto aioli blends basil, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese and lemon juice and completely makes the sandwich. Don’t go away it out!

Suggestions for making the pesto aioli

The important thing to any good sandwich? An excellent sandwich unfold. You completely can’t have a dry sandwich with unseasoned bread. Right here, the pesto aioli provides simply the correct creaminess and seasoning to your entire sandwich. Right here’s what to know concerning the pesto aioli:

• Use a big or small meals processor. A small blender would additionally work.
• It really works for a number of sandwiches. The amount you’ll find yourself with is 10 tablespoons, so relying on how a lot you utilize it ought to work for 3 to 4 sandwiches.
• You can also make it upfront and retailer refrigerated. Remember, the colour does fade barely over time.

Make forward for a Caprese sandwich

This Caprese sandwich is ideal for a picnic: however does it maintain up over time? Sure! Some sandwiches get soggy over time, however this one holds up properly. Nonetheless, you’ll need to preserve the next in thoughts:

• Unfold every bread aspect with pesto aioli and have a layer of arugula and basil over every. This protects the bread from direct contact with the tomato or mozzarella, which may make it soggy.
• If serving inside 2 hours, refrigeration isn’t wanted. The mayo within the sandwich unfold needs to be refrigerated after 2 hours.
• In any other case, wrap and refrigerate or preserve in a cooler till serving. The bread does turn out to be more durable when refrigerated, so permit the sandwich to return to room temperature earlier than serving if attainable.

Alternate methodology

It’s also possible to make a Caprese sandwich as a panini or scorching sandwich, just like the Panera Caprese sandwich. Merely use sliced sandwich bread to construct the sandwich. Then toast it in a panini press for 3 to 4 minutes, or grill in a grill pan or skillet for two minutes per aspect.

Extra Caprese themed meals

Caprese has turn out to be a shorthand for something that stars tomatoes, recent mozzarella and basil. In fact, nothing beats the basic Caprese salad, made the Italian manner with a drizzle of nice olive oil and salt. Listed here are a number of variations on the theme: