Channel your picnic dolce vita with this Pesto Caprese Sandwich. This fresh and fragrant sandwich bundles the classic Italian salad of ripe tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, and fragrant basil into a crusty baguette. It’s a very portable solution for an Italian picnic.
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Why I Love This Sandwich
I love the Caprese salad, but it’s not always convenient for a picnic. This sandwich has all the fresh flavors of the Caprese in an easy-to-transport and easy-to-eat baguette. Like my Prosciutto Sandwich with Burrata, it’s also the perfect summer picnic sandwich.
Like most of my baguette sandwich recipes, it’s also a little classy in the picnic sandwich stakes.
Picnic Tip: This recipe uses fragrant, fresh pesto. If you make a bigger batch or have leftovers, you can use it for other summer picnic recipes, like my Creamy Pesto Potato Salad or easy homemade Pesto Cheese Bread. Or if you want an alternative to the dill pesto in my delicious Pesto Chicken Wrap.
Ingredients
Mozzarella: Like traditional Caprese Salad, this recipe uses white mozzarella cheese. As with the salad, try to use a good quality mozzarella, like Buffalo mozzarella, which has a creamier, richer flavor. Cow milk Mozzarella tends to be much sweeter and milder.
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements and notes.
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- Bread: You can experiment with different types of bread, such as ciabatta, sourdough, or focaccia, but like my Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich, I recommend sticking with sturdy bread for this sandwich. Anything too light will not hold up to the fillings.
- Pesto: I give you a quick, easy pesto recipe for fresh, bold flavors. If you prefer, you can use fresh basil leaves or store-bought pesto to simplify the recipe. Remember, if you make your own pesto, any leftovers can be kept for other recipes, such as fresh summer salads.
- Nuts: In the pesto, walnuts or pine nuts can be used.
- Tomatoes: For a full flavor boost, you can switch fresh tomatoes for flavorful roasted vine tomatoes.
- Balsamic Glaze: I give you an easy recipe for a balsamic reduction (leftovers can also be kept for other recipes), but you can use a store-bought Balsamic Glaze.
Balsamic Reduction & Vinegar
Good Balsamic reduction and vinegar are always worth having in the cupboard and worth the splurge. A quality product, like the original aged vinegar from Modena, will last a long time as you only need a little for maximum flavor.
Step by Step Instructions
Make the Basil Pesto
Step 1: Add the basil, garlic, parmesan, nuts (walnuts or pine nuts), a squeeze of lemon, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a blender or food processor.
Step 2: Blend until smooth. Add another tablespoon of olive oil. Stir gently and set aside.
Make the Balsamic Glaze
Step 3: Combine the honey and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl. Pour into a small saucepan and place over low heat. Do not let the balsamic vinegar boil.
Stir frequently until the mixture thickens and becomes sticky. The glaze should stick to the back of a spoon to indicate it’s ready. This may take about 4-6 minutes. Set aside to cool. It will thicken more as it cools.
Assemble the Sandwich
Step 4: Cut the baguette in half longways and slice through the middle to make halves. Toast only the inside of the baguettes. Once toasted, spread with butter while still warm on the bottom half.
Step 5: Spread each bottom half generously with pesto.
Step 6: Add 2 or 3 slices of thinly sliced mozzarella.
Step 7: Add sliced tomatoes, another layer of thinly sliced mozzarella, and more pesto.
Step 8: Drizzle with the balsamic glaze.
Step 9: Top with arugula and cover the sandwich with the top half of the baguette.
Recipe FAQs
Walnuts are a popular alternative to pine nuts in pesto making because they are readily available and affordable, and they give the pesto a nutty flavor similar to pine nuts.
To prevent crystallization, stir the balsamic glaze continuously while it reduces and remove it from heat just before it reaches your desired thickness. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
You can make pesto using a blender, but you might have to scrape down the sides intermittently. Alternatively, for a more traditional approach, finely chop the ingredients and then blend them with a mortar and pestle.
Expert Tips
Tomatoes: Opt for ripe but firm tomatoes. Varieties like beefsteak, Roma, or large vine tomatoes are recommended for their flavor and structure. Choose fragrant tomatoes at the stem and feel heavy for their size.
Pesto: A food processor will produce a smooth pesto. However, for a more rustic texture, pulse instead of blending continuously. Pulsing ensures the nuts and basil are finely chopped but not completely pureed, adding a nice texture to the sandwich.
Remember to add the extra olive oil after blending. It will smooth the pesto, giving it a nicer spread on the baguette and helping it to soak into the toasted bread.
Prep Tips: For ease and convenience, prepare the pesto and Balsamic reduction beforehand. Both will store well in the refrigerator, and the pesto can be frozen. As this sandwich won’t suffer so much from soggy sandwich syndrome, you can assemble it in advance, which makes it a very convenient picnic sandwich.
Related Recipes
Did you try this Pesto Caprese Sandwich?
Please leave me a ⭐ rating below and let me know in the comments how you enjoyed it.
Pesto Caprese Sandwich
Ingredients
Basil Pesto
- ½ cup fresh basil
- ¼ cup walnuts or pine nuts
- ¼ cup parmesan - grated
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ lemon - Juice only
Balsamic Reduction
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- ½ tablespoon honey or sugar
Sandwich
- 1 rustic baguette - cut in half
- 1 ½ tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tomato - sliced
- ⅓ cup arugula
- 10-12 slices white mozzarella cheese - sliced
Instructions
Make the Basil Pesto
- Add the basil, garlic, grated parmesan, nuts (walnuts or pine nuts), a squeeze of lemon, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a blender or food processor.
- Blend until smooth. Add another tablespoon of olive oil. Stir gently and set aside.
Make the Balsamic Glaze
- Combine the honey and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl. Pour into a small saucepan and place over low heat. Do not let the balsamic vinegar boil.
- Stir frequently until the mixture thickens and becomes sticky. The glaze should stick to the back of a spoon to indicate it’s ready. This may take about 4-6 minutes. Set aside to cool. It will thicken more as it cools.
Assemble the Sandwich
- Cut the baguette in half longways and slice through the middle to make halves. Toast only the inside of the baguettes. Once toasted, spread with butter while still warm on the bottom half.
- Spread each bottom half generously with pesto.
- Add 2 or 3 slices of thinly sliced mozzarella.Then add sliced tomatoes, another layer of thinly sliced mozzarella, and more pesto.
- Drizzle with the balsamic glaze.
- Top with arugula and cover the sandwich with the top half of the baguette.
Notes
- Bread: You can experiment with different types of bread, such as ciabatta, sourdough, or focaccia. I recommend sticking with sturdy bread for this sandwich. Anything too light will not hold up to the fillings.
- Pesto: You can use fresh basil leaves or store-bought pesto.
- Nuts: In the pesto, walnuts or pine nuts can be used.
- Balsamic Glaze: You can use a store-bought Balsamic Glaze.
- Mozzarella: Use a quality white mozzarella like Buffalo Mozzarella for better texture and flavor.
- Pesto: For a more rustic texture, pulse instead of blending continuously. Pulsing ensures the nuts and basil are finely chopped but not completely pureed, adding a nice texture to the sandwich.
- Prep Tips: For ease and convenience, you can prepare the pesto and Balsamic reduction beforehand. Both will store well in the refrigerator, and the pesto can be frozen.
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