Italian Focaccia Sandwich

Name: Italian Focaccia Sandwich with Mortadella & Pesto
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients: 1 large loaf rosemary focaccia bread; 3/4 cup basil pesto; 1/2 lb mortadella, thinly sliced; 1/4 lb pepperoni, sliced; 2 cups arugula; 1 cup roasted red peppers, drained; 1/2 cup pepperoncini, sliced; 8 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced; 2 tbsp balsamic glaze

This Italian focaccia sandwich stacks rosemary focaccia with basil pesto, mortadella, pepperoni, fresh mozzarella, and roasted red peppers—a hearty, flavor-packed sandwich built for feeding a crowd.

🌍Italian-American 🏷️Italian sandwich 🏷️Focaccia 🏷️Sandwich 🏷️Pesto Mortadella

🏷️

🏷️Pepperoni

-0:00

alex.phillips6364onTikTok

Total

5 min

Servings

12

Difficulty

Easy

Est. Cost

$19–$31

Recipe Source

View original recipe

From TikTok · by alex.phillips6364

-0:00

alex.phillips6364onTikTok

Ingredients

1 large loaf rosemary focaccia bread
3/4 cup basil pesto
1/2 lb mortadella, thinly sliced
1/4 lb pepperoni, sliced
2 cups arugula
1 cup roasted red peppers, drained
1/2 cup pepperoncini, sliced
8 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced
2 tbsp balsamic glaze

9 Ingredients

Delivery in as fast as one hour.^*

Powered by Instacart

Prices vary by store

^*Service fees apply. Instacart^® and the Instacart logo are registered trademarks of Maplebear Inc. d/b/a Instacart.

Instructions

1
Slice the loaf of rosemary focaccia bread in half horizontally.
2
Spread a generous layer of basil pesto on both cut sides of the bread, ensuring it goes from crust to crust.
3
On the bottom half of the bread, add a layer of thinly sliced mortadella.
4
Add a layer of sliced pepperoni on top of the mortadella.
5
Top with a layer of arugula.
6
Add a layer of roasted red peppers.
7
Add a layer of sliced pepperoncini.
8
Arrange the sliced fresh mozzarella over the peppers.
9
Drizzle balsamic glaze over the mozzarella.
10
Place the top half of the focaccia onto the sandwich to close it.
11
Cut the large sandwich into individual portions and serve.

Was this recipe helpful?

Tips & Notes

Pro tips

Slice the mortadella and pepperoni paper-thin by hand or ask the deli counter to slice them for you—thinner pieces layer more evenly and blend better.
Pat the roasted red peppers completely dry with paper towels to prevent excess moisture from soaking into the bread.
Let the assembled sandwich rest at room temperature for 15 minutes before slicing so the layers set and flavors marry without the bread warming up too much.
For a crowd, assemble the whole focaccia loaf as one large sandwich, wrap tightly, chill 2–3 hours, then cut into wedges just before serving.

Substitutions

Mortadella → Capicola or Italian ham (similar texture and cure flavor)
Fresh mozzarella → Provolone or fontina (adds mild tang, holds shape better when sliced)
Basil pesto → Sun-dried tomato pesto or arugula pesto (changes flavor profile but remains Italian)
Roasted red peppers → Marinated artichoke hearts or grilled zucchini (adds different acidity and texture)

Storage & make-ahead

Wrap assembled sandwich tightly in plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for up to 3 days; do not freeze. Reheat gently in a 300°F oven for 10 minutes if desired, though it's best served chilled or at room temperature.