The Italian All Meat Recipe

Toast roll

Preheat a skillet or panini press over medium heat. Slice the Italian hero roll horizontally but not completely through if preferred (or split in two). Lightly brush the cut interior with 1 tsp olive oil. Place cut side down on the skillet or press until golden and slightly crisp, about 1–2 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Make spread

In a small bowl combine mayonnaise (1 tbs), Dijon mustard (1 tsp), red wine vinegar (1 tsp), salt (1 tsp) and black pepper (1/2 tsp). Whisk until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning; set aside.

If mozzarella is refrigerated, let it sit 10 minutes, then slice into 1/4-inch rounds. Drain jarred roasted peppers and pat dry on paper towel; slice if needed. Thinly slice red onion and tomatoes if not already sliced.

Fold or slightly ruffle each thin meat slice (prosciutto, capicola, mortadella, Genoa salami) to create volume and even coverage across the sandwich. This helps prevent the sandwich from being too dense in one spot.

Spread half of the prepared mayo-mustard dressing over the bottom half of the toasted roll and the remaining half over the top half.

Layer the meats on the bottom half in this order for flavor balance: 1) Genoa salami (2 oz), 2) mortadella (2 oz), 3) capicola (2 oz), 4) prosciutto (2 oz). Fan and slightly overlap slices so they lie evenly across the roll.

Place mozzarella slices over the meats, distributing the 2 oz evenly.

Add roasted red bell peppers (1/4 cup), pickled pepperoncini (2 tbsp), sliced tomato (3 slices), and red onion (4 slices) on top of the cheese.

Tuck fresh basil leaves (6 leaves) and arugula (1/2 cup, optional) into the sandwich for brightness.

Drizzle any remaining pan juices or a light additional 1/2 tsp olive oil over the vegetables and sprinkle a light pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper if desired.

Close the sandwich and press gently. If you prefer a warm pressed sandwich, place it in the skillet or panini press for 1–2 minutes until warmed and the cheese softens slightly.

Transfer the sandwich to a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut the sandwich in half (or into portions) on a slight diagonal. Serve immediately with an extra pepperoncini or a small side salad if desired.