A tasty make ahead pressed picnic sandwich full of roasted Mediterranean vegetables, basil pesto and mozzarella. Take it on the road or wherever the day takes you!

An open face sandwich spread with basil pesto sauce, mozzarella cheese, roasted eggplant, bell peppers and tomatoes.

Do you have any go-to meals that you love to make and take for the road? This make-ahead pressed roasted vegetable sandwich is one of my all-time faves, and I think you’ll enjoy it just as much as I do.

A pressed vegetable sandwich is a perfect summer picnic meal

A split loaf of ciabatta bread, spread with basil pesto sauce, mozzarella cheese, roasted eggplant, bell pepers and vegetables.

My style of vacation cooking is pretty simple, usually. The only tool I bring along to our favorite beach rental cottage is a chef’s knife, since the kitchen there is supplied with the major essential — a lobster pot.

Other than seafood just out of the ocean, I can’t wait for all the summer farm produce.

All you need is a loaf of great bread, some cheese and vegetables to make these sandwiches. Pack them up and take with you to the beach or wherever you like!

I don’t know why, but sitting in a beach chair doing not much of anything — maybe digging my toes into the sand every now and then — makes me really hungry.

A brick set on top of a cutting board over a wrapped sandwich.

Whether or not you’re on vacation or just don’t feel like spending a whole lot of time planning meals, this make-ahead sandwich is there for you.

The veggie-loaded sandwich can be assembled the night before, or even in the morning in advance of heading out to the beach, work or wherever the day takes you.

Pressed vegetable sandwich filled with basil pesto sauce, mozzarella cheese, roasted eggplant, bell pepers and vegetables.

Timesaver: Use prepared vegetables from a jar

I love the way freshly-roasted peppers and eggplants smell and taste.

But to make things even easier (and keep the oven off), use jarred roasted peppers, marinated tomatoes and roasted vegetables from the prepared food section of the grocery store to make a mighty fine sammy.

5 from 8 ratings

Pressed Roasted Vegetable Sandwich

Karen Tedesco
A vegetarian pressed sandwich that's perfect to make ahead for lunch, picnics or entertaining. Stuffed with roasted Mediterranean vegetables, mozzarella and pesto.
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Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 2 Roma or plum tomatoes, quartered and seeded
  • 1 small eggplant (about 3-inches diameter), peeled if desired and sliced ½-inch thick
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼-½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • Salt
  • 1 loaf ciabatta bread (I used an 8 x 5 rectangular loaf)
  • ½ cup basil pesto
  • 2 jarred red bell peppers, drained well and sliced into wide strips
  • 8 ounce (225 g) ball of fresh mozzarella, sliced ¼-inch thick

Equipment

Instructions
 

Roast the vegetables

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. When the oven has reached temperature, toss the tomatoes and eggplant on a medium sized baking sheet with the olive oil. Add the red pepper and salt to taste. Roast about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned.

To assemble sandwich

  1. Slice the ciabatta in half horizontally and tear out some of the excess dough. Divide the pesto onto both halves of the ciabatta and spread evenly over the bread. Layer the bottom half with the bell peppers, tomatoes, eggplant and mozzarella and grind black pepper over to taste. Close the sandwich and press down firmly.
  2. Wrap sandwich tightly in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Put a clean brick, a cast iron skillet, or a few can on top of the sandwich to flatten it. Let the sandwich sit for 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
  3. Unwrap the sandwich and slice into serving pieces.

Notes

  • Customize the filling of your sandwich: Try layering in thinly sliced prosciutto or other cured meat, pickled red onions, roasted zucchini or use goat cheese, provolone or feta cheese instead of mozzarella. 
  • If you want to skip roasting the vegetables at home, use about a cup each of prepared marinated roasted red peppers, eggplant, tomatoes or jarred caponata.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 450kcal Carbohydrates: 43g Protein: 17g Fat: 24g Sodium: 802mg Fiber: 4g Sugar: 4g

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

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