Tired of the same old BLT? Try our Italian BLT Sandwich, a delicious Italianate twist. Our reimagining of the classic features crispy prosciutto, ripe heirloom tomatoes, and peppery arugula all on crunchy ciabatta. We spread garlic aioli to tie all of the flavors together.
This is our go-to summer picnic sandwich. It is a delightful combination of American comfort food and authentic Italian ingredients. The result is an upgraded BLT that is perfect for a day trip or light dinner.
Looking for other tasty picnic sandwiches? Try our mortadella, burrata, and pesto or capicola, provolone, and peppers sandwich.
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Why You'll Love this Italian BLT
- Taste - Imagine a BLT but with the elevated flavors of juicy heirloom tomatoes, homemade garlic aioli, and crispy prosciutto.
- Texture - The bread is firm and lightly toasted, the prosciutto is crispy, the tomatoes are tender, and the arugula is crunchy.
- Time - It takes just 10 minutes to cook the prosciutto then 10 minutes to assemble the sandwich.
Key Ingredients
- Crispy Prosciutto - Crispy prosciutto accentuates the rich flavors of prosciutto and makes it perfectly crispy.
- Heirloom tomatoes - Heirloom tomatoes are one of our favorite things about summer. They are so much more flavorful and juicy than regular tomatoes.
- Arugula - Arugula is peppery with a light crunch.
- Garlic aioli - Garlic aioli is a light and creamy garlic packed sauce. If you don't have time to make the sauce or prefer a lighter flavor, enjoy it with mayo.
- Ciabatta - We use ciabatta because it has a simple flavor and gets perfectly crunchy when toasted.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substititions/Variations
- Meat - Instead of crispy prosciutto, opt for capicola, salami, or bacon.
- Bread - This recipe will also be delicious on a baguette or your bread of choice.
- Drizzle - Add a drizzle of balsamic glaze and hot honey for a fun and flavorful twist.
- Sauce - Instead of homemade garlic aioli or mayo, use pesto or truffle aioli.
- Lettuce - Use a spring mix, baby spinach, or your favorite lettuce instead of peppery arugula.
How to Make Italian BLT
Crispy Prosciutto
- Preheat oven - Heat oven to 375°F
- Arrange prosciutto - Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay prosciutto flat with space between each piece. Make sure the slices are not touching each other and do not crowd the baking sheet or the prosciutto will not properly crisp.
- Cook prosciutto - Place on the middle rack of the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of the prosciutto slices. Keep a close eye on the prosciutto once in the oven to make sure they do not burn. (Photo 1)
- Cool prosciutto - Remove from the oven and transfer the prosciutto to a wire rack to cool. The prosciutto will become crispier as it cools. (Photo 2)
- Prepare bread - While the crispy prosciutto cools, prepare the bread. Toast the bread until lightly golden brown. Spread a layer of garlic aioli or mayonnaise on both the top and bottom slices of the toasted bread and add a layer of arugula. (Photo 3 and 4)
Assemble Sandwich
- Assemble - Add a layer of the arugula, then sliced tomatoes with a pinch of flaky sea salt and place the crispy prosciutto on top. (Photo 5 and 6)
- Slice and serve - Finally, add the top of the bread and gently press down. Cut in half and serve immediately. (Photo 7 and 8)
Pro Tips
- Assemble when ready to enjoy so the tomatoes and aioli do not make the bread soggy.
- If your tomatoes are overly ripe, cut them and let them sit on a plate to drain the excess juice before assembling the sandwiches.
Related Recipes
Love This Recipe?
Love this Italian BLT recipe? 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
Italian BLT Sandwich
Tired of the same old BLT? Try our Italian BLT Sandwich, a delicious Italianate twist. Our reimagining of the classic features crispy prosciutto, ripe heirloom tomatoes, and peppery arugula all on crunchy ciabatta. We spread garlic aioli to tie all of the flavors together.
Servings: 2 sandwiches
Equipment
- 1 knife
Ingredients
- 4-6 slices prosciutto
- 4 slices of ciabatta
- 1-2 tablespoon garlic aioli or mayonnaise
- ½ cup baby arugula washed and dried
- 1-2 ripe heirloom tomatoes sliced into thick ½-inch slices
- flaky sea salt to taste
Instructions
Crispy Prosciutto
- Preheat oven - Heat oven to 375°F
- Arrange prosciutto - Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay prosciutto flat with space between each piece. Make sure the slices are not touching each other and do not crowd the baking sheet or the prosciutto will not properly crisp.4-6 slices prosciutto
- Cook prosciutto - Place on the middle rack of the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of the prosciutto slices. Keep a close eye on the prosciutto once in the oven to make sure they do not burn.
- Cool prosciutto - Remove from the oven and transfer the prosciutto to a wire rack to cool. The prosciutto will become crispier as it cools.
Sandwich
- Prepare bread - While the crispy prosciutto cools, prepare the bread. Toast the bread until lightly golden brown.4 slices of ciabatta
- Assemble - Spread a layer of garlic aioli or mayonnaise on both the top and bottom slices of the toasted bread. Add a layer of the arugula, then sliced tomatoes with a pinch of flaky sea salt. Place the crispy prosciutto then the top of the bread and gently press down. Cut in half and serve immediately.1-2 tablespoon garlic aioli or mayonnaise, ½ cup baby arugula, 1-2 ripe heirloom tomatoes, flaky sea salt
Video
Notes
Storage
- While this sandwich is best enjoyed fresh so the bread doesn't get soggy, you can enjoy it up to 2 days later. Just be sure to refrigerate it in an air-tight container or zip loc bag for up to 2 days. If the bread get soggy, you can toast some new bread.
- Assemble when ready to enjoy or the tomatoes and aioli will make the bread soggy.
- If your tomatoes are overly ripe, cut them and let them sit on a plate to drain the excess juice before assembling the sandwiches.
Tried this recipe?Mention @theheirloompantry or tag #theheirloompantry!
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