Spiedini Alla Romana Recipe

Prep bread and mozzarella

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). If using a broiler or oven with a broiler setting you will finish under the broiler — set an oven rack about 6 inches (15 cm) from the broiler. Slice the rustic Italian bread into 8 thick slices (roughly 3/4"–1"). Slice the fresh mozzarella into 8 pieces about the same size as the bread slices (about 1/4–1/3" thick).

Rub each bread slice lightly with the cut sides of the 2 garlic cloves. If you prefer a milder garlic flavor, rub only half the slices or rub more gently. Brush or drizzle each slice with the 2 tbs olive oil.

Assemble stacked toasts: On 4 bread slices place a mozzarella slice, then top with a second bread slice to make a sandwich (bread-mozzarella-bread). Repeat so you have 4 stacked sandwiches (each stack uses 2 bread slices and 1 piece of mozzarella in the middle). Spread about 1/2 tbs of the 2 tbs room-temperature butter on the top of each stack (this helps browning and melting).

Arrange the 4 stacks on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment or a lightly oiled cast-iron skillet, leaving a little space between each.

Toast & melt: Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and toast until the bread is golden and the mozzarella is soft and beginning to melt, about 8–12 minutes. For a more charred top, switch to broil for 1–2 minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning — remove when cheese is melted and tops are nicely browned and crisp at the edges.

Make the pan sauce while toasts finish

In a small skillet or saucepan over medium heat, add the 1 cup white wine and bring to a simmer. Scrape up any fond only if you used a skillet previously; otherwise just reduce slightly until the wine is reduced by about half, roughly 4–6 minutes.

Add the 2 tbs fresh lemon juice, 1 tbs capers, and the 2 finely chopped anchovy fillets to the reduced wine. Let simmer gently 1–2 minutes to soften the anchovies; they will dissolve into the sauce and add savory depth.

Lower the heat to low. Whisk in the 4 tbs cold butter pieces, one tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly until each piece is incorporated and the sauce becomes glossy and slightly thickened. Do not boil after adding butter to keep the emulsion. Taste and season with about 1/4 tsp sea salt and 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, adjusting as needed (anchovies and capers are salty, so add salt sparingly).

Stir in the chopped parsley and remove from heat. Keep the sauce warm; if it cools and thickens too much, rewarm gently and whisk to re-emulsify.

Plate the stacks: Transfer the toasted mozzarella stacks to warm plates. If your stacks look loose, invert them so the melted cheese is visible on top, or leave as is with browned top facing up.

Spoon the warm lemon-butter white wine sauce generously over each stack, making sure to include some capers and a little of the anchovy-flavored sauce on each serving.

Finish with the 1 tsp lemon zest, a light drizzle of 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, and the optional microgreens or additional chopped parsley for color and freshness.

Serve immediately while hot and gooey. Provide forks and knives — these are best eaten warm. This recipe feeds 2–4 as an appetizer; cut stacks in half for 4 smaller portions.