Grilled Italian Recipe

Slice and dress

Thinly slice the tomato and red onion. In a small bowl combine 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Stir to emulsify. Toss the sliced onions briefly in half of the dressing (about 1/2 teaspoon worth) so they mellow and become slightly sweeter. Reserve remaining dressing for the tomato and lettuce.

Preheat pan

Heat a cast-iron skillet or heavy nonstick pan over medium heat until hot (about 3–4 minutes).

Butter the roll

Spread the inside faces of the split roll with a thin layer of butter or brush with olive oil (about 1 tablespoon total).

Layer meats and cheese

On the bottom half of the roll, arrange the 6 oz of Italian deli meat in an even layer, slightly overlapping. Top meats with 2 slices of provolone, covering the meat so cheese will melt over them.

Grill open-faced

Place the open-faced sandwich (cheese side up) in the preheated skillet and cover loosely with a lid or a heatproof bowl to trap heat. Grill 2–3 minutes until cheese begins to melt and meats warm and edges brown slightly. If you prefer pressed grill marks, place a heavy pan or press on top for the last 30–45 seconds.

Finish grilling roll

Remove sandwich from pan. Place the top half of the roll, buttered side down, into the hot skillet and toast for 30–45 seconds until golden. Return bottom half to pan briefly (10–15 seconds) buttered side down if you want both sides toasted.

Dress lettuce and assemble

Toss shredded lettuce and tomato slices with the remaining dressing. Place the dressed lettuce on top of the melted provolone, then add tomato slices and the dressed red onions.

Optional seasoning

Sprinkle the assembled sandwich with 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning and a pinch (1/8 tsp) crushed red pepper flakes if using.

Cut and serve

Close the sandwich, press gently to compress, and slice on the diagonal. Serve immediately while cheese is warm and meats are hot.