Skip to main content
LoginSign Up
Panini with Mortadella, Provolone and Broccoli Rabe

Panini with Mortadella, Provolone and Broccoli Rabe

By Rose HattabaughApril 6, 2021

  • Makes
    4 servings
  • Cook Time
    30 minutes
  • Rating

The grilled sandwiches that we know today as panini are believed to have originated in the mid-20th century in Italy’s paninoteche (sandwich shops). Whatever their history, panini offer a tantalizing combination of warm, toasted bread, salty meats and melty cheese. Our panini also include sautéed broccoli rabe, which offers a bitterness to offset the richness of mortadella and provolone while also making these simple sandwiches complete meals. We spread vinegary crushed red peppers on the bread to add piquancy—sometimes labeled as “hoagie spread,” it’s sold jarred in most supermarkets. Chopped peperoncini or cherry peppers would be a good substitute.

Tip

Don’t use soft sub rolls for the panini. Seek out good, crusty bread with a sturdy, chewy crumb that can stand up to the fillings. Don’t fill the sandwiches one at a time. Rather, work assembly line-style to ensure equal distribution of ingredients.

Ingredients
  • 3

    tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

  • 2

    medium garlic cloves, peeled and halved

  • 1

    pound bunch broccoli rabe, trimmed and chopped into rough ½-inch pieces

  • Kosher salt

  • 4

    8-inch crusty rolls or ciabatta rolls

  • 4

    tablespoons jarred crushed red peppers (see headnote), divided

  • 8

    ounces sliced mortadella

  • 8

    ounces sliced provolone cheese, preferably aged provolone, slices cut in half

Step 1

In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, heat 1 tablespoon of oil until shimmering. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until the cloves begin to brown, about 30 seconds.

Add the broccoli rabe and ½ teaspoon salt, then cook, stirring, until just starting to soften, about 1 minute. Add ¼ cup water, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the stem pieces are tender, 4 to 5 minutes.

Remove and discard the garlic, then transfer the rabe to a medium bowl; set aside. Wipe out the skillet and set it aside.

Step 2

Split each roll horizontally, leaving one side hinged. If the rolls are very thick, pull out and discard some of the crumb so the bread is about ½ inch thick.

Spread 1 tablespoon of crushed peppers on the inside of the top half of each roll. Top the other side with the broccoli rabe, dividing it evenly.

Lay half of the provolone on the rabe, dividing it evenly. Top the cheese with the mortadella, then finish with the remaining provolone. Close the rolls and press firmly.

Step 3

In the same skillet over medium, heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil until shimmering. Add 2 panini, weight them with a heavy skillet or pot, then cook until the bottoms are nicely toasted, 2 to 3 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed if the bread is browning too quickly.

Flip the panini, replace the weight and cook until the second sides are toasted and the cheese begins to melt, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board.

Using the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, toast the remaining 2 panini in the same way. To serve, cut each panini in half on the diagonal.

Featured in