Muffaletta

Muffaletta

For the olive spread:

½ cup chopped pitted Castelvetrano or Cerignola olives

½ cup chopped pitted oil cured black olives

¼ cup chopped piquillo peppers or roasted red peppers

1 cup jarred giardiniera vegetables, drained

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

¼ cup rough chopped Italian parsley

heavy pinch dried oregano

pinch ground black pepper

For the sandwich:

Soft Italian seeded bread

4 ounces salami, thinly sliced

4 ounces capicola, thinly sliced

4 ounces mortadella, thinly sliced

4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

4 ounces provolone, thinly sliced

olive oil

Make the olive spread: Combine the olives, peppers and giardiniera in a food processor and pulse a few times until evenly minced but not puréed. Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in the olive oil, red wine vinegar, chopped parsley, oregano and black pepper. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.

Build the sandwich:

Cut your bread in half sideways and spread both cut surfaces with a generous amount of the olive spread and its juices. Layer half of each meat and then the cheese. Repeat layers with the remaining meat and cheese. Add a drizzle of olive oil. Close the bread and press down gently to compress. For best results, wrap the sandwich tightly in plastic wrap and let sit for at least an hour before serving.