Caprese Sandwich – A Couple Cooks

This Caprese sandwich is a surprising 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 components as a sandwich filling, with an irresistibly creamy, pesto aioli that provides a pop of savory brightness to every chew. It’s the right thought for a straightforward no-cook summer dinner, picnics, and extra. When our son Larson tried a chew, he stated, “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 components within the basic Italian Caprese salad: tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. There are numerous variations on this idea, typically utilizing arugula, balsamic vinegar, or different spreads to brighten the sandwich. The normal Italian model of Caprese salad doesn’t use balsamic vinegar or reduction and we don’t suppose the flavour pairs appropriately, 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 chew.

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

• Ciabatta bread or different artisan bread: This Italian bread is mushy and excellent for sandwiches! Avoid a French baguette, which may be powerful to chew via. Another sort of artisan bread works!
• Ripe tomatoes: This can be a should! This sandwich solely works with the ripest, juiciest tomatoes, very similar to a superb BLT.
• Contemporary mozzarella cheese: Buy it in an 8 ounce ball and slice off slices for the sandwich.
• Contemporary 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 just 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 depart it out!

Ideas for making the pesto aioli

The important thing to any good sandwich? An ideal sandwich unfold. You completely can’t have a dry sandwich with unseasoned bread. Right here, the pesto aioli provides simply the best creaminess and seasoning to the complete sandwich. Right here’s what to know in regards to 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 employ it ought to work for 3 to 4 sandwiches.
• You can also make it prematurely and retailer refrigerated. Consider, 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 nicely. Nonetheless, you’ll need to maintain the next in thoughts:

• Unfold every bread facet 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 might make it soggy.
• If serving inside 2 hours, refrigeration shouldn’t be wanted. The mayo within the sandwich unfold ought to be refrigerated after 2 hours.
• In any other case, wrap and refrigerate or maintain 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 technique

You can even make a Caprese sandwich as a panini or sizzling 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 facet.

Extra Caprese themed meals

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