What is a muffuletta you ask? Muffuletta combines classic Sicilian flavours and ingredients into a show-stopping, make-ahead sandwich that can be enjoyed hours, or even the day after, it’s prepared. The basic ingredients are an antipasti-style salad of mixed olives, roasted red peppers and artichoke hearts, a round loaf of Italian bread, provolone cheese and layers of all of your favourite Italian cured meats, from soppresatta to Prosciutto di Parma. The magic happens when you wrap the sandwich tightly in saran wrap (or similar), place it between two baking sheets and then put a heavy weight on top. Jason Skrobar writes to “refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight, flipping the sandwich midway.”

Perfect in all seasons, muffuletta could be used as a convenient component for your lunch meal prep or enjoyed with friends at the beach; the options are endless.

Where did muffuletta originate?

The sandwich’s origin story dates back to 1906 at an Italian market called Central Grocery in the French Quarter of New Orleans. The market’s owner, an Italian immigrant named Salvatore Lupo, is credited with inventing the sandwich. The story goes that Sicilian farmers working at the local farmers’ market would have lunch at his store and order olive salad, meats, cheeses and bread but eat them all separately. Signor Salvatore was the one to suggest it might be easier to eat them all together, and that is how the muffuletta was born. In some circles, people refer to a muffuletta as a “New Orleans Muffuletta Sandwich”.

What does the word muffuletta mean in Italian?

Derived from the Sicilian word muffola, which means “mitten”, muffuletta means “soft and spongy bread”.

What does muffuletta taste like?

Decisively briney, bright, garlic and vinegar forward. Think: your favourite antipasti components between two slices of delicious bread.

Do you eat a muffuletta hot or cold?

Establishments in New Orleans serve the popular sandwich both ways. Choose your own adventure here.

A muffeletta sandwich with layers of meat

Muffuletta Sandwich

Jason Skrobar

This sandwich stars briny, slightly salty olive salad paired with layer upon layer of cured meats and cheeses in fresh bread.

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Ingredients

Olive Salad

2 cups mixed olives pitted and roughly chopped
½ cup chopped roasted red peppers
⅓ cup chopped artichoke hearts in oil
¼ cup capers drained
½ red onion thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic finely minced
2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp crushed hot pepper flakes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

To Assemble

1 large muffuletta loaf or 1 large round rustic loaf cut in half and partially hollowed out
200 g (7 oz) thinly sliced mortadella
200 g (7 oz) thinly sliced spicy soppressata
200 g (7 oz) sliced provolone
200 g (7 oz) thinly sliced capocollo
200 g (7 oz) thinly sliced prosciutto
200 g (7 oz) sliced mozzarella

Instructions

Olive Salad

In large bowl, stir together olives, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, capers, red onion, garlic and parsley. Drizzle in oil and vinegar; add hot pepper flakes, oregano and pepper and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

To Assemble

Lay out loaf pieces; divide and spread olive salad over both halves, pouring any liquid over top. On bottom bread half, layer mortadella, soppressata, provolone, capocollo, prosciutto and mozzarella.
Sandwich muffuletta together and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Place between two baking sheets with a heavy weight on top. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight, flipping the sandwich midway.
To serve, unwrap and slice into wedges.

Notes

Don't feel like chopping? Simply add all of the olive salad ingredients to a food processor and pulse until chopped.

Use a heavy bottomed cast-iron skillet or protein press to ensure the muffuletta has been sufficiently pressed, encouraging all of the flavours to meld together.

Keyword mortadella, New Orleans sandwich