Mortadella Sandwich with Pistachio Pesto Recipe

This Mortadella Sandwich with Pistachio Pesto was inspired by La Paradiso, one of the most popular sandwiches at All’antico Vinaio—the undisputed king of panini in Florence. Instead of our Chili Crisp Focaccia, they use schiacciata—similar to focaccia, but thinner and chewier. When we first tasted the original sandwich, we’d just arrived in Florence and were hangry as hell. We immediately spotted every other passerby holding All’antico’s signature white sandwich wrapper with red brand name and knew it was our only hope. And the first bite was even better than we believed it could be. Whether or not the sandwich is named after Dante’s final cantica in The Divine Comedy, it deserves every bit of the comparison. In fact, Zach has a tattoo of the final lines of Paradiso as a tribute to his grandparents—”l’amor che move il sole e l’altre stelle” (the love that moves the sun and all the other stars)—and good God every bite of this sando is nothing but love.