Mortadella Sandwich Recipe

Prepare focaccia

Slice the house focaccia loaf horizontally so you have a top and bottom half. If you prefer warm bread, preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) and warm both halves for 4–6 minutes until slightly crisp but not hard. Remove and set aside to cool briefly.

Make artichoke aioli

In a small food processor or blender, combine drained artichoke hearts, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic clove, olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Pulse until a smooth-ish spread forms (a little texture from artichoke is fine). Taste and adjust seasoning — add a little more lemon if you want brighter acidity. Transfer aioli to a bowl.

Prepare pistachios and mint

Coarsely chop roasted pistachios and set aside. Pick mint leaves from stems and lightly tear a few larger leaves so they lay flat in the sandwich.

Assemble burrata

Gently tear each burrata ball open over a small bowl to capture the creamy interior and cream. You can reserve the loose cream to spoon onto the bread and tear the outer curd into pieces to distribute in the sandwich.

Build the sandwich

Spread a generous layer (about half of the artichoke aioli) evenly over the bottom half of the warmed focaccia. Arrange half the mortadella slices in a single layer, slightly overlapping. Scatter half the torn burrata curds and spoon half the reserved burrata cream over the mortadella. Sprinkle half the chopped pistachios and half the torn mint leaves and half the arugula (if using). Season lightly with a pinch of salt and a crack of black pepper, and drizzle about 1/2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil over the fillings. Repeat the layering on top of that with the remaining mortadella, burrata, pistachios, mint, and arugula. Spread the remaining artichoke aioli on the top half of the focaccia and place it on top to close the sandwich.

Finish and serve

Press the sandwich gently to compact slightly. If you like, cut into portions (4–6 sandwiches depending on size) with a sharp serrated knife. Serve immediately so the burrata is creamy, or wrap tightly and refrigerate up to 2 hours before serving. Provide extra aioli and reserved pistachios on the side if desired.