CC's Table | Easy Recipes for Entertaining

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • About Caitlin of CC’s Table
    • CC’s Favorites
    • FAQ
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
  • RECIPES
  • WORK WITH ME
  • Cookie Policy
  • Cookie Policy
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Work With Me
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Work With Me
×
CC's Table » Recipes » Dinners

Italian Pressed Sandwich

Published: Aug 7, 2023 · Modified: Feb 26, 2024 by Caitlin Charlton · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you. · 3 Comments

Jump to Recipe

These Italian Pressed Sandwiches are loaded with fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced prosciutto and salami, basil, peppers, and a balsamic vinaigrette. They are a great easy, make-ahead cold sandwich for a crowd or summer picnic!

Italian sandwiches stacked on top of each other on a wooden cutting board and brown paper next to basil leaves
Jump to:
  • Key Ingredients and Substitutions
  • Why you'll love this pressed sandwich
  • How to make an Italian Pressed Sandwich
  • Prep ahead and storage tips
  • Serving tips
  • What to serve this pressed sandwich with
  • 📖 Recipe
  • Comments

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

  • Ciabatta: I love using a ciabatta loaf because it is crusty and can hold up to all the ingredients. It is also long and thin, giving you plenty of surface area for all the ingredients and no bite is too “bready.” 
  • Prosciutto: I love the salty and smoky flavor of thinly sliced prosciutto.
  • Salami: For ease, I use presliced salami from the store. If you choose to use a log of salami, you can carefully thinly slice it at home. 
  • Roasted red peppers: I keep it easy and buy them in a jar, but you can roast and peel red peppers at home, if you prefer. Pat the jarred peppers down with paper towels. For any peppers that are super thick, thinly slice them in half lengthwise. 
  • Italian seasoning blend: most stores carry Italian seasoning, but if you can't find it you can substitute it for a little dried oregano and dried thyme, or leave it out altogether.
baguette, basil, peppers, balsamic, mozzarella, salami, and prosciutto on a wooden board on a marble counter

Why you'll love this pressed sandwich

  • Pressing the sandwich down with bricks or heavy pans melds the flavors together and makes it easier to eat.
  • This no-cook Italian sandwich is so easy to make!
  • You'll have a delicious, hearty sandwich without needing to turn on the oven or stove-- making it perfect for hot summer months!
  • You can make this sandwich ahead! In fact, it is actually even better when made ahead.

How to make an Italian Pressed Sandwich

  1. Make the vinaigrette by combining all the ingredients in a bowl and setting it aside
  2. Slice the bread in half lengthwise and make sure all your filling ingredients are thinly sliced.
  3. Layer the Italian deli meats, mozzarella, peppers, and basil on the bottom half of the bread.
salami layered on a loaf of bread next to plain bread and basil leaves
salami and basil layered on bread next to plain bread on a wooden cutting board

4. Drizzle the vinaigrette on the top half of the bread and close the sandwich.
5. Wrap the sandwich in parchment paper (or foil or plastic wrap) and use a brick or heavy pan to weigh it down. Place the pressed sandwich in the fridge (you may need to cut it in half to fit it in your fridge).
6. Allow the sandwich to be pressed for 1-12 hours before removing the weight, slicing, and serving.

roasted red peppers layered on basil and salami on a wooden cutting board
mozzarella layered on veggies with bread topped with vinaigrette on a wooden board

Want to save this recipe to come back to it?

I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!

Prep ahead and storage tips

This pressed sandwich is an excellent cold lunch to make ahead! This sandwich is best served within 1-24 hours. It will hold up for about 3 days but I love serving it within the first 24 hours so that the basil is still bright green and the bread isn't too soft. Make it the evening before and serve it for lunch the next day!

To store, keep the sandwich wrapped in parchment, foil, plastic wrap, or an airtight container in the refrigerator. The sandwich can be stored cut or uncut.

a sandwich on a wooden board being pressed down by a cast iron skillet

Serving tips

This Italian sandwich recipe serves 6 by itself or with a small side dish or two. If you are serving this pressed sandwich as part of a buffet or potluck with tons of other sides, you can cut the sandwich into 12 pieces to serve 12.

For a fun appetizer idea for a big party, try cutting this sandwich into 24 pieces by slicing it into 12 pieces, then cutting each piece in half. That would make for a fun slider-sized appetizer for game day, an open house, or any party!

What to serve this pressed sandwich with

This sandwich would be delicious served with some chips or fruit, or a side dish, such as:

  • Summer Salad with Quinoa
  • Homemade Caesar Salad
  • Tomato, Basil, Feta Salad
  • Roasted Potato Salad with Corn
  • Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad

If you make this Italian Pressed Sandwich, I'd love to know what you think in the comments below!

6 sliced Italian sandwiches stacked on brown paper and a wooden cutting board

📖 Recipe

Italian sandwiches stacked on top of each other on a wooden cutting board and brown paper next to basil leaves

Italian Pressed Sandwich

These Italian Pressed Sandwiches are loaded with fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced prosciutto and salami, basil, peppers, and a balsamic vinaigrette. They are a great easy, make-ahead cold sandwich for a crowd or summer picnic!
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Pressing Time: 1 hour hour
Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
Servings: 6 people
Author: Caitlin Charlton

Ingredients

  • 1 lb loaf of ciabatta halved lengthwise to separete the top and bottom
  • 7 oz proscuitto
  • 8 oz thinly sliced salami
  • ½ cup packed basil leaves
  • 16 oz jarred roasted red peppers thinly sliced, patted dry
  • 1 lb fresh mozzarella balls thinly sliced, patted dry

Vinaigrette

  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
  • ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

  • Place your two pieces of bread side my side. with the soft part of the bread facing up. On the bottom half, layer on the proscuitto and salami in an even layer. Top with an even layer of the basil, then the peppers, then the mozzarella.
  • In a small mixing bowl, make the vinaigrette by whisking together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Pour the vinaigrette evenly over the top piece of bread.
  • Close the top piece of bread onto the lower half of the sandwich. Wrap the entire sandwich in parchment paper, foil, or plastic wrap. Use bricks or a heavy pan with cans to weigh the sandwich down. Refrigerate the sandwich for 1-12 hours before removing the weights, slicing, and serving.

Notes

  • This sandwich can be made up to 3 days in advance and kept wrapped in the refrigerator. 
  • Serves 6 people as an entree or 12 people if serving with lots of sides. Alternatively, you can cut the sandwich into 24 sliders for an appetizer.

Want to save this recipe to come back to it?

I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!

Tried this recipe?Please consider leaving a review! It means the world to me!

More Dinners

  • A white plate of mashed potatoes topped with braised chuck roast, caramelized onions, and carrots next to a glass of red wine and another plate.
    Tender Dutch Oven Braised Chuck Roast with Red Wine
  • Baked mushroom mac and cheese in a white baking dish with a scoop missing next to a sprig of thyme and white wine.
    Mushroom Mac and Cheese
  • Salmon patties with dill sauce on a white platter next to lemon wedges, fresh dill, and extra sauce.
    Salmon Patties with Dill Sauce
  • Two bowls of white ground chicken chili topped with sour cream, cilantro, and cheese on a wooden board next to chips and cilantro.
    White Ground Chicken Chili

Comments

    5 from 3 votes (2 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. susan says

    August 11, 2023 at 6:37 am

    5 stars
    So easy! Delicious and "fancy" looking. My guests were very impressed!

    Reply
    • Caitlin from CC's Table says

      August 11, 2023 at 9:51 am

      Thank you so much! I'm so glad you and your guests loved them! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Jeff the Chef @ Make It Like a Man! says

    August 27, 2023 at 6:15 am

    I love pressed sandwiches. I usually feel that pressing them makes them more flavorful. I'm not sure if that's objectively true, but it is in my mind, and I guess that's what counts if I'm going to be taking a sandwich like this to work for lunch, which I would definitely like to do.

    Reply
Photo of Caitlin with brown hair smiling and cooking

Hi, I'm Caitlin! I'm an event planner turned professionally trained chef living by the beach! I'm excited to share with you recipes and tips for how I entertain with ease by prepping ahead.

More about me →

Connect on social

  • Instagram
  • TikTok
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Trending Recipes

  • Ground Chicken Enchilada Recipe
    Ground Chicken Enchiladas
  • Four slices of ribeye steak sandwiches with chimichurri stacked on a cutting board next to oregano.
    Steak Sandwich with Chimichurri
  • Shrimp scampi and angel hair pasta in a cast iron skillet next to lemon wedges on a white counter.
    Shrimp Scampi with Angel Hair Pasta
  • Two plates of salmon with a yogurt dill sauce on top of farro and asparagus next to a glass of wine.
    Salmon with Yogurt Dill Sauce

Footer

CC's Table logo with tagline entertaining with ease

About

About Caitlin

CC's Favorites

Privacy Policy

Contact

Contact

Work With Me

FAQ

Connect on Social

  • Pinterest
  • TikTok
  • YouTube
  • Instagram

© 2020-2025 CC's Table All Rights Reserved.

Manage Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}
Manage Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.