Channel your inner Tony Soprano with this classic Capicola, Provolone, and Peppers Panino. The perfect combination of savory "gabagool," sharp provolone, and sweet peppers will have you dreaming of an Italian picnic. Trust us, it will be your new go-to panino!
This panino is a lunch staple in our house. We love to pack a couple panini for a beach picnic with our pups or when we need a tasty pick-me-up. It has quintessential Neapolitan ingredients, is super easy to make, and the flavor is simply divine!
Looking for other delicious panini? Try our Mortadella Sandwich!
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Why You'll Love This Gabagool Panino
- Taste - The gabagool, provolone, and peppers is a robust and classic flavor combination. Use classic capicola or spicy capicola depending on your preference.
- Texture - The bread is firm and lightly crispy while the other ingredients are tender.
- Time - It takes just 10 minutes to toast the bread and assemble the sandwich.
Key Ingredients
The secret to an exceptional panino lies in the quality of its ingredients. Elevate this simple sandwich by choosing premium capicola, provolone, and peppers. We recommend sourcing these ingredients from your local Italian deli or specialty market.
- Capicola - Capicola is a smoky cured Italian meat often seasoned with wine, garlic, herbs, and spices. It can be mild or spicy, and always best thinly sliced. It's known as capicola or coppa in Italy, and is affectionately known as "gabagool" in the United States, as Southern Italian immigrants' dialect transformed over generations.
- Provolone - Provolone is a sharp, semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk in Campagna, a southern region in Italy. The piquant aged cheese pairs perfectly with the rich capicola.
- Red Peppers - The red roasted peppers are sweet and balance the strong savory flavors of the capicola and provolone.
- Ciabatta - We use ciabatta because it has a simple flavor and gets perfectly crunchy when toasted.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Meat - We love this sandwich with other meats like prosciutto, salami, or mortadella. You can even use a combination of all three!
- Cheese - Use classic or smoked provolone, or a mix of both, for this panino.
- Heat - For a hint of spice, use spicy coppa.
- Bread - Enjoy this sandwich with a rustic Italian loaf, focaccia, sourdough or your bread of choice. It will still be delicious.
- Olives - Add some sliced olives for some briny goodness.
How to Make This Capicola Sandwich
- Slice and toast ciabatta - Using a serrated knife, cut the ciabatta crosswise, then slice the ciabatta into two servings. Toast the ciabatta until warm and lightly toasted. Drizzle with olive oil. (Photo 1, 2, 3, and 4)
- Assemble - Layer the sliced provolone, capicola, and sliced roasted red peppers. Then place the tops of the bread on each sandwich and gently press with your hands. (Photo 5, 6, and 7).
- Enjoy! - Slice in half. Enjoy immediately or wrap tightly to enjoy later that day. (Photo 8)
Pro Tips
- Use high-quality ingredients! This panino is simple and only uses a handful of ingredients, which means each ingredient gets to shine. Source the best ingredients from your local Italian deli or specialty grocery store.
- Let the meat and cheese temper before you add them to the toasted bread.
- If the bread is a little stale, quickly run it under the faucet to lightly wet the bread, then toast it in the oven. This will freshen up the bread for the sandwich.
Related Recipes
Did You Like This Recipe?
Love this easy summer panino? Please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card below & leave a comment below. If you are looking for other Italian sandwich recipes, try our Mortadella panino or Caprese Sandwich.
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📖 Recipe
Capicola, Provolone, and Red Peppers Panino
Equipment
- 1 knife
Ingredients
- 1 ciabatta
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 4-6 provolone slices
- 6-8 capicola slices thinly sliced
- ¼ cup red peppers sliced into strips
Instructions
- Slice and toast ciabatta - Using a serrated knife, cut the ciabatta crosswise, then slice the ciabatta into two servings. Toast the ciabatta until warm and lightly toasted. Drizzle with olive oil.1 ciabatta, 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Assemble - Layer the sliced provolone, capicola, and sliced roasted red peppers. Place the tops of the bread on each sandwich and gently press with your hands. Enjoy immediately or wrap tightly to enjoy later that day.4-6 provolone slices, 6-8 capicola slices, ¼ cup red peppers
Video
Notes
- Use high-quality ingredients! This panino is simple and only uses a handful of ingredients, which means each ingredient gets to shine. Source the best ingredients from your local Italian deli or specialty grocery store.
- Let the meat and cheese temper before you add them to the toasted bread.
- If the bread is a little stale, quickly run it under the faucet to lightly wet the bread, then toast it in the oven. This will freshen up the bread for the sandwich.
- If you have any leftover sandwich, refrigerate it in an air-tight container or zip loc bag for up to 2 days. Just keep in mind that the bread may get soggy so you may want to toast some new bread when you are ready to enjoy your sandwich.
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