This prosciutto sandwich is a celebration of Italian flavors: warm, melty mozzarella, a fresh lemony arugula salad, and a pesto-laced prosciutto roll that turns a simple panino into something unforgettable. Easy to make for lunch or dinner, impossible to forget.
A Sandwich with Soul
This prosciutto sandwich is inspired by one of our favorite food memories: standing in the tiny, fragrant shop of the Borderi family in Ortigia, Sicily, back in 2016. Louise and I were traveling through the island and stumbled upon their sandwich counter almost by accident — but it changed the way we thought about panini forever.
The way they layered flavors, used homemade ingredients, and treated the sandwich like a form of art was unforgettable. Since that trip, we’ve been chasing that same feeling: generous, joyful sandwiches made with care. This panino is our take on that — packed with creamy mozzarella, salty prosciutto, garlicky toasted bread, and a fresh salad tucked inside.
Simple ingredients, layered with love — just like they do in Ortigia.
Ingredients
For quantities, see recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Ciabatta bread – or swap it with sourdough, focaccia, or a crusty baguette.
- Mozzarella – can be replaced with buffalo mozzarella, provolone, scamorza, or fontina for a different melt.
- Prosciutto – speck, jamón serrano, bresaola, or coppa are all excellent cured meat options.
- Arugula – or use baby spinach, mixed greens, or watercress for a milder bite.
- Vine-ripened tomato – cherry tomatoes or heirloom varieties work just as well.
- Shaved parmesan – pecorino romano or grana padano make great salty alternatives.
- Sun-dried tomatoes – roasted red peppers or semi-dried cherry tomatoes add similar depth.
- Basil pesto – feel free to use arugula pesto, sun-dried tomato pesto, or even a garlic-herb spread.
- Lemon juice – white wine or red wine vinegar will do the trick in the salad.
- Extra virgin olive oil.
How to make the best prosciutto sandwich
1. Prep the Arugula Salad
In a bowl, toss together the chopped arugula, tomato, shaved parmesan, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt, pepper, and a splash of lemon juice. Set aside.
2. Prepare the Prosciutto Rolls
Lay out the prosciutto slices on a sheet of parchment paper, slightly overlapping to form one large sheet. Add torn buffalo mozzarella, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, and a spoonful of pesto right in the center. Gently roll everything up into one big prosciutto roll. Slice in half if needed to fit the sandwich.
3. Toast the Bread
Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and crushed garlic.
Cut the ciabatta open, remove some of the crumb, and place the cut sides onto the skillet. Toast until golden and crisp, pressing the bread down with a spatula to get it all crisp.
4. Melt the Mozzarella
Discard the garlic, flip the bread and layer the bottom half with the sliced mozzarella.
Cover the skillet with a lid and let the steam melt the cheese — about 2 minutes — until it's gooey and delicious. If you want an extra melty finish, you can carefully flip the bread cheese-side down and let it melt for another minute. (This step works best on a non-stick skillet.)
5. Assemble the Sandwich
Remove the toasted bread from the skillet. Spoon the arugula salad over the melty mozzarella. Place the prosciutto roll on top of the salad. Brush the inside of the top ciabatta half with more pesto and close the sandwich.
6. Serve
Slice in half and serve immediately while the cheese is still warm and soft.
Tips
- Start with Great Prosciutto: Choose high-quality Prosciutto di Parma or San Daniele — thinly sliced, slightly sweet, and buttery.
- Use the Right Bread: Go for rustic, crusty bread like ciabatta, focaccia, or sourdough.
- Add Creaminess to Balance the Salt: Pair salty prosciutto with something creamy — fresh mozzarella, burrata, or ricotta are all excellent choices.
- Bring in Freshness and Crunch: Arugula, tomato, lemon juice...you get the point.
- Layer with Herbs or Pesto: A swipe of basil pesto, arugula pesto, or even fresh chopped herbs gives depth and that unmistakable Italian aroma.
- Toast and Melt Wisely: Toast the bread cut-side down in olive oil, then melt your cheese directly on one half while it’s still in the pan. Covering the pan for a minute helps the cheese melt without drying the bread. Never melt buffalo mozzarella or burrata though – they should be enjoyed fresh. Only regular mozzarella, or other cheeses.
- Serve Immediately: This sandwich is best eaten fresh — while the bread is still crisp, the cheese is warm, and the greens are vibrant. Assemble just before serving for the best texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most Italian cheeses go well with prosciutto. Try mozzarella, buffalo mozzarella, burrata, provolone, scamorza, fontina, parmigiano, medium-aged pecorino cheese, and more depending on the vibe — creamy vs. sharp.
It depends on the mozzarella. If using buffalo mozzarella for the filling, like we do, then tear it apart to preserve that stringy and creamy texture. If using fresh fior di latte mozzarella you can slice it, especially if you want to melt it like we do.
It depends on the prosciutto. There are many varieties, from salty ones to mild and sweet ones like Prosciutto di Parma or San Daniele. If using Parma Ham or San Daniele I'd add a pinch of salt to the leafy greens.
Ciabatta, focaccia, baguette, or sourdough are top choices — anything crusty that holds up to moisture.
More Easy Recipes
- Mediterranean Chicken
- Crispy gnocchi with ham and cheese
- Chicken piccata
- Chicken marsala
- Feta pasta
- Chicken caesar pasta salad
- Sheet pan chicken gyros
- Sheet pan shawarma
If you tried this Prosciutto Sandwich recipe or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you!
Recipe
Prosciutto Sandwich
Video
Ingredients
- 1 ciabatta loaf cut in half horizontally
- 10 slices prosciutto or more to taste
- 1 - 2 fresh mozzarellas we use fresh mozzarella for melting and buffalo mozzarella for stuffing the sandwich - about 6 oz /180 g in total - add more or less to taste
- 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes chopped
- 2 tablespoons basil pesto
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 2 ounces arugula chopped
- 1 vine tomato chopped
- 2 tablespoons shaved parmesan
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 pinch salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Prep the Arugula Salad – In a bowl, toss together 2 ounces arugula (chopped), 1 vine tomato (chopped), 2 tablespoons shaved parmesan, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 pinch salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Prepare the Prosciutto Rolls – Lay out about 10 slices prosciutto on a sheet of parchment paper, slightly overlapping to form one large sheet.Add a torn mozzarella (we used buffalo mozzarella here), 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, and a spoonful of pesto right in the center. Gently roll everything up into one big prosciutto roll. Slice in half if needed to fit the sandwich.
- Toast the bread – Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and 1 clove garlic (smashed). Cut 1 ciabatta loaf open, remove some of the crumb, and place the cut sides onto the skillet. Toast until golden and crisp, pressing the bread down with a spatula to get it all crisp.
- Melt the mozzarella – Discard the garlic, flip the bread and layer the bottom half with the sliced mozzarella.Cover the skillet with a lid and let the steam melt the cheese — about 2 minutes. For an extra melty finish, you can flip the bread cheese-side down and let it melt for another minute. (This step works best on a non-stick skillet.)
- Assemble the Sandwich – On the bottom half of the ciabatta (with melted mozzarella), spoon over a generous amount of the arugula salad.Top with the prosciutto rolls. Brush the top half of the ciabatta with more pesto, then place it over the filling. Slice in half and serve immediately.
Notes
- Ciabatta – or go with sourdough, focaccia, or a crusty baguette.
- Mozzarella – try buffalo mozzarella, provolone, scamorza, or fontina for a twist.
- Prosciutto – speck, jamón serrano, bresaola, or coppa all work beautifully.
- Arugula – swap in baby spinach, mixed greens, or watercress for something softer.
- Tomato – cherry or heirloom tomatoes bring the same juicy sweetness.
- Parmesan – pecorino romano or grana padano bring that same salty edge.
- Sun-dried tomatoes – roasted red peppers or semi-dried cherry tomatoes add depth.
- Pesto – arugula, sun-dried tomato, or garlic-herb spreads all get the job done.
- Lemon juice – or use white wine or red wine vinegar for brightness.
- Use quality prosciutto like di Parma, Norcia, or San Daniele — thin, buttery, and sweet.
- Choose rustic bread — ciabatta, focaccia, or sourdough hold up beautifully.
- Balance with creamy cheese — mozzarella, burrata, or ricotta work great.
- Add freshness — arugula, tomato, lemon juice bring brightness and crunch.
- Layer pesto or herbs for that unmistakable Italian flavor.
- Toast and melt smart — toast in olive oil, melt regular mozzarella only, buffalo mozzarella should be served fresh.
- Assemble fresh — serve right away for the best texture and flavor.
Steven says
I don’t want to be unfair so I’ll give 5 stars because it might just be my own issue — I did not enjoy the texture of meat rolled on itself. It was harder to chew through than the rest of the sandwich and I didn’t like that. If you’re sensitive to textures, I definitely recommend keeping the meat flat and layering the cheese, tomatoes and pesto through it.
Kathy says
This sandwich was a total hit in my house! I made it for lunch over the weekend and my husband literally said, ‘Why don’t we eat like this every day?’ Even my picky teenager ate the whole thing — arugula and all! The melty mozzarella with the crispy garlic bread was next level, and the prosciutto rolls made it feel kind of fancy, even though it was super easy to throw together. I used sourdough because that’s what we had, and a little store-bought pesto — still turned out amazing. Definitely adding this to the rotation!