Focaccia sandwich (assembly)

Mortadella, Stracciatella & Pistachio Focaccia Sandwich

Name: Mortadella, Stracciatella & Pistachio Focaccia Sandwich
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4 sandwiches from one 30×40 cm focaccia
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: one 30×40 cm slab Baked focaccia; 250 g Mortadella, thinly sliced; 200 g Stracciatella; 40 g Shelled pistachios; to drizzle Extra-virgin olive oil; to taste Flaky sea salt and black pepper

Silky folds of pistachio-studded mortadella over cool, creamy stracciatella and a shower of crushed pistachios, tucked into warm split focaccia — the panino all of Italy fell for.

Total: 15 min
Hands-on: 15 min
Hydration: 80%
Skill: beginner

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By FocacciaRecipe editorial · Updated 2026-07-05 · In editorial development; independent bake-test pending

Recipe visualization — not a photograph of this bake.

The short version

Split a piece of focaccia horizontally, spread the bottom with stracciatella, drape over thinly sliced mortadella in loose folds, scatter crushed pistachios, drizzle with olive oil, and close. Serve right away while the focaccia is warm. Bake or buy the focaccia base first (see our classic focaccia).

Why this works

Mortadella is emulsified and fatty; the cool, milky stracciatella balances it and the crushed pistachios echo the pistachio in the sausage while adding crunch. Warm (not hot) focaccia softens the fat of the mortadella just enough without melting the stracciatella into a puddle. Folding the mortadella loosely instead of stacking it flat keeps the bite light.

The schedule

~15m hands-on of 15m total · same day

Mix & fold · 15m

Terracotta is active work; olive is unattended rising; red is the bake.

Ingredients

Batch:

Base

one 30×40 cm slab Baked focaccia, use our classic focaccia, or a good bakery focaccia

Filling

250 g Mortadella, thinly sliced, sliced very thin, ideally with pistachio in it
200 g Stracciatella, or the torn center of burrata
40 g Shelled pistachios, lightly toasted and roughly crushed
to drizzle Extra-virgin olive oil
to taste Flaky sea salt and black pepper

Method

1
Ready the focaccia
If baking your own, follow our classic focaccia and let it cool until just warm, not hot. Cut the slab into 4 sandwich-sized pieces and split each horizontally with a bread knife.
Look for: Warm to the touch, not steaming — hot focaccia would melt the stracciatella to soup.
2
Spread the cheese
Spread a generous layer of stracciatella over the cut bottom of each piece. Season with a little flaky salt and pepper.
Look for: The stracciatella should sit in soft, milky ribbons that cling to the crumb.
3
Layer the mortadella
Drape the mortadella over the cheese in loose folds and ruffles rather than flat stacks, mounding it slightly.
Look for: Folded mortadella looks like soft waves and gives a lighter, airier bite than flat slices.
4
Finish and close
Scatter the crushed pistachios over the mortadella, drizzle with a little olive oil, set the top back on, and press gently.
Look for: A gentle press should just hold it together; the pistachios add audible crunch.
5
Serve
Serve immediately while the focaccia is warm and the stracciatella is cool.
Look for: Best eaten within minutes — the contrast of warm bread and cool cheese is the whole point.

What good looks like

Crumb: Soft, open focaccia crumb holding cool cream and silky sausage.
Crust: Light, oil-glossed focaccia top and base.
Height: A generous mounded panino.

If something went wrong

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
Filling slides out	Focaccia too hot, melting the stracciatella	Let the focaccia cool to just warm before filling.
Sandwich tastes heavy	Mortadella stacked flat and thick	Slice it very thin and fold it loosely for a lighter bite.

Full troubleshooting guide →

Storing & reheating

Storage: Assemble to order; the stracciatella makes it a poor keeper. Store components separately.

Contains wheat/gluten, dairy, and tree nuts (pistachio). Mortadella may contain pistachio.

Tools & ingredients for this focaccia

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Core pantry

Nuts (opens Amazon) ↗ — Buy in small amounts; store cool.
Extra-virgin olive oil (opens Amazon) ↗ — Use a good EVOO you like the taste of.
Flaky finishing salt (opens Amazon) ↗ — For the crunchy finish.

Required pan & tools

Serrated bread knife (opens Amazon) ↗ — Splits focaccia for sandwiches and slices the crust cleanly without crushing the crumb.

Fresh — buy local

Baked focaccia (opens Amazon) ↗ — A common item; buy fresh or from your pantry.
Meat / seafood (opens Amazon) ↗ — From a butcher or deli; pre-cook before topping.

You don’t need to buy everything here — many items are already in most kitchens. Fresh produce, cheese and herbs are best bought local and in season.

Frequently asked

What is stracciatella?: It is the soft, stringy, cream-soaked center of burrata, sold on its own. If you can’t find it, tear open a ball of burrata and use the inside.
Do I have to bake the focaccia myself?: No — a good bakery focaccia works. If you want to bake it, use our classic focaccia as the base and split it once cooled to warm.

Keep baking

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In editorial development — this recipe has not yet completed physical bake-testing.