Recipe: Stuffed Italian Sandwich

Stuffed Italian Sandwich

Take a trip to your local Italian specialty store to find such delectable items as pancetta (an Italian bacon) and mortadella (the original baloney) for this impressive sandwich.

8 ounces mild Italian sausage cooked and sliced
1 large round hearty bread loaf unsliced
2 tablespoons Italian dressing
8 slices provolone cheese
2 ounces salami sliced
1 (2.25 ounces) can sliced black olives drained
1 slice red onion 1/2-inch thick
4 slices mortadella
6 tablespoons pizza sauce
6 pepperoncini drained and sliced
3 ounces pancetta cooked and sliced
4 ounces sliced turkey
4 ounces sun dried tomatoes in oil drained and sliced
2 tablespoons BUITONI Refrigerated Freshly Shredded Parmesan Cheese
1 tablespoon BUITONI Refrigerated Pesto with Basil

PLACE bread on baking sheet. Remove top one-fourth of loaf. With fingers, hollow out bread top and bottom without breaking through crust.

SPREAD Italian dressing evenly inside bottom of loaf. Place half of provolone cheese slices across bottom of bread. Layer the following ingredients: salami, olives, sausage, onion, mortadella, pizza sauce, pepperoncini, pancetta, turkey, sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, pesto and remaining slices of provolone.

REPLACE top onto bread. Place another baking sheet on top of bread and top with a 5 to 10 pound weighted object. Allow to sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Sandwich should be compressed, but not smashed. Cut into wedges and serve.

Servings: 10