These Roasted Red Pepper Sandwiches with Mozzarella & Pesto are a tasty and creative way to use up your leftovers. The homemade arugula pesto (recipe included) ties all the flavors together perfectly.
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Photos by Rikki Snyder
These sandwiches are made for leftover lovers and haters! Not everyone is a fan of leftovers, but for me, it feels like a triumph to cook once and have dinner for two days. I win at meal planning! Then I have lots of free time to do other things I want to do!
But I do get why some people have an aversion to leftovers. A lot of the time, things just aren't quite as good the second time around. So this recipe is the perfect compromise: Start by whipping up the arugula pesto. Use it to make these roasted red pepper sandwiches one night. Then the next night, use the pesto to make a pasta dinner!
This Roasted Red Pepper Sandwiches with Mozzarella & Pesto recipe is...
- Delicious
- Versatile
- Great for leftovers
- Quick to make
- Made with simple ingredients
- Nutritious
And if you love quick and easy vegan recipes, be sure to check out my new cookbook, Weeknight One Pot Vegan Cooking. It's packed with 75 plant based recipes that all cook up easily in a single pan!
How to Make Roasted Red Pepper Sandwiches with Mozzarella & Pesto
- Whip up a batch of arugula pesto.
- Preheat oven.
- Roast peppers.
- Remove skin & stem, then slice pepper into strips.
- Assemble sandwiches with pesto, mozzarella, and peppers..
- Grill sandwiches on a grill pan or in a sandwich press.
Full directions for how to make Roasted Red Pepper Sandwiches with Mozzarella & Pesto are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Variations to Roasted Red Pepper Sandwiches with Mozzarella & Pesto
To Heat or Not to Heat
You can grill your sandwiches manually on the stove or grill, or you can go the easy route by using a panini press! Don't have one? You could even grill your sandwiches in a waffle iron!
Alternatively, you could skip the heating altogether and eat your sandwiches cold! The heat isn't really necessary-it just makes the cheese nice and gooey.
Fresh or Jarred
This recipe shows you how to roast your own red peppers, but there's a quicker way to make these sandwiches. Just grab some jarred red peppers to save yourself some time and energy. There's really no right or wrong way to do it!
Sandwiches to Pasta
You'll have plenty of pesto left after making these sandwiches-enough to toss with pasta the next day for another dinner. Add in some roasted red peppers, steamed broccoli, and mozzarella shavings to make it a meal. That's another 15-minute dinner right there!
Roasted Red Pepper Sandwiches with Mozzarella & Pesto FAQs
What is pesto?
Pesto is a tasty green pasta sauce that originated in Italy. It is traditionally made with basil, pine nuts, garlic, and parmesan cheese. For this recipe I've subbed the basil for arugula and the pine nuts for walnuts.
What is the best kind of bread for these sandwiches?
The recipe mentions using ciabatta bread for these sandwiches. Alternatively, you could use some French bread, Italian bread, sourdough baguettes, or even regular whole wheat sandwich bread! I personally think that ciabatta tastes the best, but what really matters are the ingredients inside.
How long will these sandwiches store?
These sandwiches are best served right away. You can store them to eat a day later, but they'll likely be soggy and not-so-appetizing.
A better option is to simply prep all your ingredients, then only assemble individual sandwiches as you're ready to eat them!
In addition, this recipe makes extra pesto. If you're not planning on having some pesto pasts within the next week, you can easily freeze your pesto and save it for future recipes.
More Recipes to Use Up Your Pesto
- French Bread Pizza with Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Brussels Sprout and Apple Tart with Walnut Pesto
- Pesto Pizza with Red Peppers, Mushrooms, and Asparagus
- Vegan Garlic Bread with Kale Pesto
- Kale Pesto Pasta with Burst Cherry Tomatoes
While you're here, be sure to grab our FREE 5-Day Meatless Meal Plan. It's packed with tasty recipes to make vegetarian cooking easy and delicious!
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 1 large loaf ciabatta bread, cut in quarters and then halved lengthwise
- ¼ cup Arugula Pesto, see recipe below
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 8 slices
- olive oil
Pesto
- 2 cups arugula leaves, packed tightly
- ⅓ cup walnut pieces, toasted
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- 2 small cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500°F (broil).
- Line a small baking sheet with foil. Put the pepper on the baking sheet and broil until the skin is beginning to char, using tongs to turn occasionally, about 10 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and wrap the foil around the pepper. (Use oven mitts!) Let the pepper steam in the foil for 10 minutes.
- Remove the pepper from the foil and transfer it to a cutting board. Peel off the skin, cut off the stem, pull out the seeds, and discard them. Cut the rest of the pepper into thick strips.
- Spread 1 tablespoon of pesto onto the bottoms of the ciabatta bread. Divide the pepper strips onto the bread, then place the mozzarella slices on top of the pepper strips. Top with the remaining slices of bread and brush the tops with olive oil. (If you're going to serve the sandwiches cold, don't brush them with oil-just eat them!)
- Heat a grill pan or griddle over medium heat. Flip the sandwiches over and place them on the grill pan oiled-side down, then brush the other side of the sandwich with oil. Use a spatula to press the sandwiches down slightly, but don't press too hard or you'll have a mess of mozzarella everywhere! Cook 5-8 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
Pesto
- Combine arugula, walnut pieces, cheese, and garlic in the large bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped, then pour olive oil through the feed tube and continue to process until almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- Jarred roasted red peppers can be substituted for the fresh red bell pepper.
- If you can't find a loaf of ciabatta bread at your grocery store, any sturdy, crusty bread will work.
Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says
I lovelovelove making my own roasted peppers! It's so easy!
This sandwich is pretty much all my favorite flavours, pilled up between bread. You can never go wrong with bread.
Gorgeous photos!
Kiersten Frase says
Yeah, we like roasting our own too--the jarred kind just isn't the same. 🙂
Anele @ Success Along the Weigh says
That looks AMAZING! Is it weird I want it for breakfast?
Kiersten Frase says
Breakfast sandwiches are definitely a thing!
Julia says
Whenever I don't have to cook, I wave my hands in the air, too! So nice to kick back, relax, and MAN I need to watch Ru Paul's Drag Race!!
These sandwiches are the bees knees like nooooobody's biznatch! I need them every day of my life. Gimme dat pesto!
Kiersten Frase says
YOU DO NEED TO WATCH IT! The new season starts tonight, so it's the perfect time to start. 🙂
dishing up the dirt says
These sandwiches sounds so fresh I can almost taste springtime. 🙂
JulieD says
I love this! I make a fresh mozzarella sandwich and alternate between using pesto and straight up basil. I love that you used an arugula pesto! I'm all about leftovers btw, Curtis doesn't like them though!
Kiersten Frase says
I can't wait to start growing basil again this spring so I can make pesto with it! But I bet you can grow it year-round. 🙂
Liz @ The Lemon Bowl says
This is my ideal sandwich in every way!!!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
Yes please, this is my dream sandwich. You can't miss with roasted red peppers + pesto!
Jen @ Jen Spends says
That looks SO good. I'll have to try this next time I make mozzarella.
Kiersten Frase says
I need to make mozzarella someday! That's on my weekend project list. 🙂
Hilary says
Yum! I'll eat anything with pesto on it!
Joanne says
We really couldn't get through the week without leftovers...they are ALL WE EAT. I especially love sandwich leftovers because they taste just as good the next day! Anything with these Mediterranean flavors and ingredients sounds good to me!
Kiersten Frase says
Yeah, why do people hate on leftovers? I mean: CONVENIENCE!!! And if something is good the first day, I'm always delighted to eat it again the next day.
Elisa @ Insalata di Sillabe says
I've just recently developed a passion for roasted red peppers, which I quite disliked when I was younger. Now I can't have enough of them and am always looking for new ways to incorporate them into my meals! This sounds like a perfect vehicle since I'm huge fan of sandwiches, too!
xo, Elisa
Kiersten Frase says
I never liked red peppers when I was younger either. We were missing out! 🙂
Judy P says
What kind of veg could I sub for the Arugula? I've been buying large bags of spinach for my smoothies, could I use that? and I don't like walnuts, would toasted sunflower seeds work? Love your ideas!!
Kiersten Frase says
I've never made a pesto with sunflower seeds, although I have successfully used pumpkin seeds, so I think that should work. Spinach is much milder than arugula, so it won't have that peppery kick. You may want to add some basil to it to make it more flavorful.
Judy P says
Thanks, I think the basil or oregano would be good with a little garlic, Might even try some Cayenne and Cilantro for a different taste. These sound great for pasta or pizza's either one.
Angie (@angiesrecipess) says
This looks beyond delicious! Love the flavours of this delicious sandwich.
She Rocks Fitness says
LOVE this combo! Reminds me of summer...I haven't made pesto in so long and it's so easy. Thanks for sharing! XOXO
Kiersten Frase says
I will make pesto out of just about anything! It's definitely a staple in my fridge. 🙂
Shirley says
Yum! I don't mind leftovers at all (OK, maybe if it gets to a 4th day of the same thing), but I just can't get on board with arugula. I'm gonna be boring and make this one day with a basil pesto. 🙂
Kiersten Frase says
Arugula is totally a love-it-or-hate-it food! I used to not like it, but now I really enjoy that sharp flavor. But basil pesto works too. 🙂
Rachel @ Bakerita says
It's a rarity if a sandwich with mozzarella and pesto in a menu I'm looking at doesn't get ordered, and this looks like an amazing variation. Love the arugula pesto! Pinned.
Kiersten Frase says
Yeah, at a lot of restaurants, some variation of that sandwich is pretty much the only vegetarian option. I never get tired of it though! 🙂
Courtney says
I came here for dinner ideas for tomorrow and now I feel like i need to make this NOW. I don't mind leftovers, however Chris is a weirdo and won't eat anything that isn't fresh. That's when I just lie and said I just made it again, and everyone is happy 😉
Kiersten Frase says
That works! I'm lucky that my Chris likes leftovers too. 🙂 Because with a food blog, there are a LOT of leftovers around here. I'm sure you know how that is!
Oakland says
This is my first week trying your meal plans! Thanks for the awesome resource. I'll let you know next week how it went. 😛 (The sandwiches were delicious)
Gail Sieczka says
I made these last night, they are YUMMY YUMMY YUM! My family of meat eaters did have me add some london broil on it for them, I ate mine just the way the recipe says and it was so good that I had to have it for lunch today. Thank you for an awesome recipe that my entire family can enjoy. 🙂
Kiersten says
I'm so glad to hear it was a hit! 🙂
Jenni says
This was delicious! I added ham slices to my husband's sandwich (he's not cool enough to be vegetarian ;p) but I enjoyed mine exactly as is....and the pesto is amazing. I'll definitely be making this again. thank you!