Next up in my Italian sandwich series: A salami sandwich. This 4-ingredient panino is absolutely delicious. It pairs slices of salami with pecorino cream, artichoke spread, and eggplant. Your new favorite Italian sandwich recipe!
This salami panino originated at All’Antico Vinaio, a famous sandwich shop in Florence that is the inspiration for many of my other sandwich recipes (see them here). They have a salami sandwich on their menu called La Favolosa, which was also named the best sandwich in the world in 2015.
A salami sandwich is any type of sandwich that uses salami as a key ingredient. There are many different ways that you can make a salami sandwich. For example, you can try different breads and fillings to experiment with new flavors and textures.
In this recipe, sbriciolona salami, or fennel salami, is used–this is traditional to the All’Antico Vinaio sandwich shop. Traditional salami sandwiches are as simple as it gets, using as few ingredients as possible. The fewer ingredients used, the better the flavor.
Here’s why you should make this salami sandwich:
- It’s delicious. Yes, it really is the best salami sandwich…and that’s because it’s so tasty! You can’t go wrong with the flavors of sbiciolona salami, pecorino cream, artichoke spread, and eggplant.
- It’s easy to adjust. This recipe is flexible in that you can add or remove ingredients based on your preferences. Make it with any type of bread that you like, or use different toppings based on what you have on hand. The possibilities are endless.
Ingredients
- Fennel salami: All’Antico Vinaio uses sbriciolona – which is a type of fennel salami. Sbriciolona originated in Tuscany and has a fennel-like flavor. You can use any fennel salami for this sandwich, or even a regular salami like genoa.
- Pecorino cream: Pecorino cheese is made of sheep’s milk. The pecorino cream uses a besciamella method, with butter, flour and milk. Pecorino is then added. It’s absolutely delicious when spread on sandwiches.
- Artichoke spread: Another creamy spread made from artichokes, olive oil, and seasonings. It adds extra savory flavor to salami sandwiches.
- Eggplants: Little pieces of spicy eggplant finish off your salami panino.
- Schiacciata bread: The type of bread that I used. Schiacciata is an Italian flatbread similar to focaccia. You can use any type of bread that you prefer to make a salami sandwich.
Filling options for a salami sandwich:
When it comes to Italian panini, the simpler, the better. You don’t need to add too many ingredients to this salami panino; it’s super delicious with just salami and a few toppings.
That being said, some people prefer salami sandwiches with different ingredients. You can experiment with adding cheese to the sandwich, or using a new type of bread.
Here are a few other filling options you can try with salami panino:
- Salami, mozzarella, arugula, artichokes
- Salami, sun-dried tomatoes, provolone
- Salami, caponata, sliced tomatoes, mozzarella
How to make it – step by step
Make the pecorino cream by making a besciamella sauce, and adding grated pecorino cheese.
Make the artichoke spread by coking up some onions, then adding canned marinated artichokes, onions, garlic, parsley, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper into a food processor.
Make the spicy eggplant by sauteeing eggplants in olive oil and chili flakes, salt and pepper.
Assemble the sandwich – cut your piece of schiacciata in half.
Next, spread the pecorino cream and artichoke spread over the base of the schiacciata.
Then add salami, and spicy eggplant on top.
Top with the other piece of bread to put the sandwich together.
Serve and enjoy!
FAQ
Salami is a type of cured sausage made up of aged and air-dried meat. Pork is the most common type of meat used to make sausage, but it can also be made from beef, lamb, duck, and several other types of meat. Some types of salami have other ingredients added to enhance the flavor. For example, the Sbriciolona salami used in this salami sandwich has fennel seeds added to it.
One of the most common ways to enjoy salami is on sandwiches! It tastes great paired with bread, cheese, and sliced vegetables. Pecorino cheese, provolone, asiago, and goat cheese are popular salami pairings. Mozzarella and gouda cheese are also great for salami sandwiches! Salami also goes well with olives, crackers, and pickled vegetables–making it a fantastic addition to a charcutierie board.
In this salami sandwich recipe, I used pecorino cream and artichoke spread: these are Italian classics that are simple enough to still be able to enjoy the flavors of the salami. Mustard, mayonnaise, and pickles are other popular condiments; note that these are more common in the North American versions of salami sandwiches.
More Italian Recipes
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Salami Sandwich
This 4-ingredient panino is absolutely delicious. It pairs slices of salami with pecorino cream, artichoke spread, and eggplant. Your new favorite Italian sandwich recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 schiacciata optional to use – can use any bread
- 80 grams fennel salami
Pecorino Cream
- 1/8 cup (25g) unsalted butter
- 2.5 tbsp (25g) all purpose flour
- 250 ml whole milk
- 1.25 cup (100g) grated pecorino
Artichoke Spread
- .5 cup white onion diced
- 3 tbsp olive oil divided
- 1.5 cups canned marinated artichokes see notes
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley
- 1/2 garlic clove
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
Spicy Eggplant
- 2 1/3 cup eggplant diced into 1cm cubes
- 1.5 tbsp olive oil
- chli flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Make the pecorino cream
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In a small saucepan, heat up the milk until warm.
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In a medium sized pan (over medium heat), melt the butter.
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Add in the flour. Mix with a whisk until well incorporated.
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Slowly pour in the milk, while whisking continuously.
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Keep whisking until there are no more clumps in the mixture (a few minutes)
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Add in the grated pecorino and whisk once more until fully incorporated. There is no need to add salt since the pecorino is already salty. Set aside.
Artichoke Spread
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Cook the onions – in a small pan, heat up 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Add in the onions. Add salt and pepper.
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Cook until golden and fragrant. Set aside.
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To a food processor, add the artichokes, cooked onions, parsley, garlic clove, 1 tbsp olive oil, red wine vinegar and salt and pepper.
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Process in the food processor until well combined and the spread has a creamy consistency. Set aside.
Make the spicy eggplant
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To a pan, add 1.5 tbsp olive oil and let it heat up.
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Add the chili flakes, then the diced eggplant. Add salt and pepper.
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Cook the eggplant for 15-20 minutes. Set aside
Assemble the sandwich
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Cut a piece of schiacciata, or whichever bread you are using. Slice the schiacciata lengthwise to form two pieces of bread that you can add the ingredients to.
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Spread 1/4 cup of the pecorino cream on the base of the sandwich.
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Spread 1/4 cup of the artichoke spread on top of the pecorino cream.
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Add the salami slices on top of the artichoke cream.
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Top the salami with 1.3 cup of eggplants.
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Place the other piece of bread on top to form a sandwich. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- You can prepare the pecorino cream, artichoke spread, and eggplants ahead of time (even the day before), keep them in the fridge, then use the elements once you’re ready to assemble the sandwich
- The amounts given for the salami, pecorino cream etc are based on a 6.5 x 5 inch sandwich
- The yield for thee artichoke spread is 1 cup
- The yield for the pecorino cream is 1 cup
- You will have left over pecorino cream, artichoke spread, and eggplants. Use them to make more sandwiches, for pasta, etc
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