Hot sandwiches "Italian style"
Vegetable sandwiches with spicy basil and young Italian Mozzarella cheese on white bread, hot and juicy, are a great option for a quick and quite satisfying snack from the available products.
Ingredients
- white bread made from premium wheat flour - 14 slices or about 200 g
- mozzarella in brine - 250 g
- tomatoes - about 550-600 g (6 medium regular or cherry tomatoes of the specified weight)
- fresh green basil - 3 large sprigs (about 25-30 g)
- extra virgin olive oil or pesto, to serve (optional)
Cooking
Step 1
Turn on the oven and heat it to 3.2-3.5 (180-190 ºС). Line a large aluminum baking sheet (21 x 32 cm, 5 cm high or any other similar or slightly larger area) with non-stick baking paper. Cut off the burnt bottom from the bread (otherwise, the finished sandwiches may not have a very pleasant bitter taste), then cut it into slices (about 0.8-1.0 cm thick or to taste). If you are using ready-made cuts, it is also advisable to cut off the fried crusts. Then arrange the slices of bread on a baking sheet (you can close to each other).
Step 2
Wash the package with mozzarella (if sealed), as well as tomatoes and basil (tomatoes and package with mozzarella - preferably with soap to prevent microbes from entering the finished dish) and dry on a paper towel. Remove the stalks and tough inner fibers (if any) from the tomatoes and cut across into slices about 0.8 cm thick. If you use cherry tomatoes, then cut them in half lengthwise (tender remnants of the stalks do not need to be removed). Densely (how much will go in) spread the tomatoes on the slices of bread prepared earlier (cherry - cut down). A medium-sized piece of bread takes about 1.5-2 cups of a regular tomato or 4-5 cherry halves, depending on the size.
Step 3
Put the baking sheet in the oven and bake the sandwich blanks on the number 3.2-3.5 (180-190 ºС) until the tomatoes are almost ready - their surface, especially for cherry tomatoes, should become soft and wrinkle slightly when pressed (this may take about 6- 10 minutes depending on the variety and size of the tomatoes).
Step 4
At this time, tear off the leaves from the basil stalks, and open the package of mozzarella and drain the brine from it. Cut the mozzarella itself into circles about 0.5-0.6 cm thick.
Step 5
After the time specified in paragraph 3, remove the baking sheet from the oven, place basil leaves on top of the vegetables, cover them with mozzarella and return the baking sheet to the oven again for just a minute (you need the mozzarella pieces to become warm to the touch, their edges are barely melted, but at the same time, the serum from them should stand out only slightly).
Step 6
Remove the finished sandwiches from the oven, transfer to a serving plate with a spatula and serve still warm, if desired, drizzling with a little extra virgin olive oil or decorating with homemade pesto sauce on top. Enjoy your meal!