What’s the perfect sandwich of summer? We’re pretty sure it’s this roasted tomato caprese sandwich.
Roasted Tomato Caprese Sandwich with Eggplant and Pesto
It’s got all of our favorite things: fresh cherry tomatoes, eggplant, fresh mozzarella, and pesto. When we recently shared an video on Jolly Tomato Instagram of how we made it, we got some questions about specifics. So here we go – Here’s how we make our favorite summer sandwich.
Sandwich-Making Steps
Here’s a quick rundown of what you need to do to make this sandwich:
- Salt and drain the eggplant
- Roast the eggplant and tomatoes
- Toast the bread
- Put all of the toppings on the bread and toast it or broil it
- Cut it into serving sizes and enjoy!
We did this demo sandwich with a small ciabatta loaf, but you could do it with almost any of your favorite loaves of bread. Ciabatta is a great choice for this sandwich because of its chewy, and airy but not dense texture. But if you have a favorite farm-style bread or sourdough bread – or even a baguette – those will be tasty too.
Roasted Tomato Caprese Sandwich Recipe
Roasted Tomato Caprese Sandwich
A roasted tomato caprese sandwich is the perfect summer sandwich, with freshly roasted cherry tomatoes, eggplant, fresh mozzarella, and pesto.
Ingredients
- 1 small eggplant, peeled and sliced
- 1/2 tbsp salt
- 1 loaf ciabatta bread, approximately 12-14 inches
- 1 pint fresh cherry tomatoes, washed with stems removed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced or hand-torn into pieces
- 1/2 cup pesto
Instructions
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Take the peeled, sliced eggplant and place it in a colander; then sprinkle it with salt and place the colander in the sink. (This will allow any bitter juices to drain out; ideally, weight the eggplant down with something heavy like a pot.) After 1/2 hour to one hour, rinse the eggplant and pat dry.
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In a large bowl, toss the eggplant and the cherry tomatoes with the olive oil. Spread them out evenly on a pan and roast them for 30 to 35 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from the oven and set aside.
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Slice the loaf of bread open (a horizontal cut) and toast it in the oven for 3-4 minutes or until just barely golden brown. (If your oven has only a broil setting, put it under the broil for just 1 minute.)
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Spread the pesto over the surface of the bread, then top with mozzarella and tomatoes and eggplant. Toast for another 3 minutes or until the cheese is melted. (If you are broiling it, broil it for no more than 2 minutes and watch it carefully to make sure it doesn't burn.)
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Slice into three portions and serve.
Bonus note: Do you use jarred pesto? You don’t have to! Try our homemade pesto recipe here.
Extra bonus note: If you’re looking for more great meatless sandwiches, we’ve got more options:
Rainbow Sandwich with Ojai Pixie Tangerines
or even a sweet option:
Strawberry Sandos (Japanese Milk Bread Sandwiches)
Hi! I'm Jeanne Fratello - a writer, reporter, and food enthusiast who is on a mission to write great stories about food and where your food comes from. 
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