Sometimes the sandwich fixings are so tasty you don’t want to cover them with an extra layer of bread. That’s how I feel about this open faced sandwich! I wanted to capture an Antipasto Platter vibe in sandwich form, so I went for classic Italian-style flavor-makers. I started with whipped ricotta seasoned with oregano, which makes for the creamiest, most decadent base. Then I layer on so much texture and flavor with fresh basil and juicy tomato slices (think Caprese 2.0), peppery radishes, velvety roasted red peppers, salty prosciutto, and crunchy pistachios. I top it all off with a poached egg, not just for the protein and omegas but also because there’s nothing quite like a runny egg yolk on an open faced sandwich! So satisfying and delicious, you won’t want to cover it up. And, as a bonus the single slice of bread makes this decadent sandwich just a tad lighter!
Open Faced Sandwich Ingredients
I turned to the usual Italian heavy-hitters for this open faced sandwich recipe. You’ll need:
Ricotta cheese: Use low fat or whole milk ricotta. Extra virgin olive oil: Enriches the ricotta spread. Use a high quality extra virgin variety (I love our Italian Nocellara with this recipe, which has notes of tomato that complement the toppings well). Dried oregano: Adds an aromatic quality. Fresh oregano or Italian seasoning could work here too. Kosher salt and black pepper enhance the flavor. Italian bread: Any good mild but crusty bread works here, like ciabatta or French baguette. Basil: Adds an summery aromatic quality. You just can’t beat basil and tomatoes! Tomato: Ideally a variety that’s juicy yet firm when ripe, like Roma or a firm heirloom. If tomatoes aren’t at their prime go for grape tomatoes instead. Radishes add a fresh peppery note. Roasted red peppers: Use a jarred variety, roast your own bell peppers from scratch. Prosciutto slices: Adds protein, nutrients, and a delicious salty flavor. You can substitute with other cured meats, or leave it off to make this recipe vegetarian. Crushed shelled pistachios: Add a sweet-buttery flavor and crunch. They’re not essential—feel free to leave them off or substitute with slivered almonds. Poached eggs add protein, vitamins, and richness. Feel free to substitute with fried eggs, boiled eggs, or leave the egg off if you’d like. Vinegar: Causes the proteins in the egg whites to coagulate more quickly, which prevents them from spreading out too much in the water boiling water. This will help the poached egg keep its shape, but you can still poach an egg without vinegar if you don’t have any on hand.
How to Make this Open Faced Sandwich Recipe
The first step is to poach the eggs, which only takes about 3 minutes. Here’s how it’s done.
Bring a medium saucepan full of water to a boil. Line a plate with paper towels. Address the egg white. An egg white is called the Albumen and it has a thick part that clings closer to the yolk and a thin, almost watery-appearing part. For an egg that is easier to poach and looks tidy you’ll want to remove the thin, watery part of the egg white. To do this, set a small fine mesh sieve over a small bowl and crack an egg into the sieve. Gently swirl the egg in the sieve. Once the thin part of the egg white has fallen through the sieve, transfer the egg (yolk with thick white) to a ramekin or small glass. Repeat with the remaining 4 eggs, transferring each to separate ramekins. Get your produce prepped. Slice 1 ripe tomato. Thinly slice 3 radishes. Drain and coarsely chop 1 roasted red bell pepper. Crush a handful of shelled pistachios. Poach the eggs. Once the water boils, reduce it to a gentle boil or a simmer. Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar, then stir the water in a circular motion to create a vortex. Quickly add one egg to the middle of the vortex and cook for exactly 3 minutes. Once the egg white is cooked and the yolk is still runny, use a slotted spoon to transfer the egg to the paper towel-lined plate and top with a sprinkle of salt. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Make the whipped ricotta. Place 1 cup ricotta, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano in a small mixing bowl. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and whip with a fork until fluffy. Build the sandwich. Spread the whipped ricotta cheese on the toasted bread. Next, top each toast with 1-2 basil leaves, tomato, radish, red pepper, a slice of Prosciutto, a poached egg, and a sprinkle of pistachios. Enjoy!
Ways to Mix It Up
Open-faced sandwiches are endlessly adaptable, which means you can make a version to suit anyone’s tastes. If poached eggs aren’t for you then opt for a fried egg. To keep things vegetarian, skip the prosciutto and add asparagus. Here are a few more ideas to get you started:
Change the cheese: Swap the ricotta for goat cheese (chevre) or sliced mozzarella. Add greens: Add a handful of arugula. Very lightly dressed with Balsamic Vinaigrette would be a treat! Substitute the roasted red peppers with sun dried tomatoes. (Ideally, an all-natural variety, like the organic sun dried tomatoes from our shop). If you love toast every which way, check out this Ricotta Toast recipe with 6 easy toppings.
What to Serve with This Open Faced Sandwich Recipe
This sandwich has a lot of richness from the cheese, prosciutto, poached egg, and pistachios, so a light bright salad goes best alongside. Keep it simple with mixed greens dressed in a 5-Minute Lemon Vinaigrette. Some bitter greens mixed in like frisée or radicchio would add a welcome balance. Or if you want to add something fresh but sweet this fruit salad recipe is a favorite in my family. Browse all Mediterranean recipes.
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