Name: Antipasto Heroes
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Cuisine: ItalianEurope
Ingredients: 1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts , drained, rinsed, and patted dry; 1 medium clove garlic , peeled; 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; Salt and pepper; 3/4 cup jarred roasted red bell peppers , chopped; 5 pepperoncini , rinsed and finely chopped; 1/2 cup chopped black olives; 2 baguettes (12-inch-long); 2 cups fresh arugula leaves; 1/2 pound thinly sliced hard salami or cappicola; 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese , thinly sliced

Why This Recipe Works

Few sandwiches can beat the overstuffed meat, cheese, and condiment-filled “heroes" prepared by Italian delicatessens. For a Antipasto Heroes recipe made from with supermarket staples and requiring no special trips to the deli, we started by making a paste with jarred artichoke hearts, garlic, and olive oil to spread the artichokes’ flavor through the whole sandwich. We combined roasted red peppers; olives; and spicy, tangy pepperoncini to make a relish similar to that slathered on a classic muffuletta sandwich. Fresh mozzarella, not rubbery low-moisture mozzarella, gave our sandwiches the most authentic flavor. We removed a portion of the interior crumb of the baguette to make room for the filling; otherwise it would have spilled out. Finally, we weighted our Antipasto Heroes with a heavy pan (you can also use cans) to make them easier to eat and to help marry the filling’s flavors.

Before You Begin

Traditional Italian antipasto ingredients make a hearty sandwich filling. Weighting the sandwiches makes these filled-to-the-brim heroes easier to eat, but if you're really hungry, you can omit this step. If your market sells very long baguettes, use just one.

Instructions

In food processor or blender, puree artichokes, garlic, and 2 tablespoons oil until smooth paste forms. Transfer to small bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Combine red peppers, pepperoncini, black olives, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in medium bowl.

Slice baguettes in half lengthwise and pull out most of soft crumb from tops and bottoms. Spread artichoke paste on both sides of bread.

Fill bottom cavities of bread with pepper mixture. Layer with arugula, meat, and cheese, place tops of bread over bottom, and press firmly. Wrap each sandwich tightly in foil and weight down using heavy object (canned tomatoes are perfect) for 1 to 3 hours. Unwrap sandwiches, cut each in half, and serve.