Muffuletta New Orleans Classic

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Born at Central Grocery in the French Quarter, the muffuletta is a layered Italian-American sandwich built around a briny, oil-packed olive salad that seeps into a round sesame loaf. Pressed overnight, the flavors marry into a tangy, savory bite that defines New Orleans Italian-Sicilian cooking.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 880 kcalCalories
• 58 gFat
• 18 gSaturated Fat
• 48 gCarbs
• 4 gFiber
• 3 gSugar
• 42 gProtein
• 2480 mgSodium
• 520 mgPotassium
• 480 mgCalcium
• 4 mgIron
• 6 mgVitamin C
• 410 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the Olive Salad (make at least 24 hours ahead)

• 1 cup pitted Castelvetrano or Spanish green olives, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup pimiento-stuffed olives, sliced
• 1/2 cup cauliflower florets, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, finely diced
• 1/3 cup carrot, finely diced
• 2 tbsp capers, drained and roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar

For the Sandwich

• 1 round 10-inch muffuletta loaf or sesame Italian bread
• 8 oz thinly sliced Genoa salami
• 8 oz thinly sliced mortadella
• 6 oz thinly sliced capicola or spicy soppressata
• 8 oz thinly sliced sharp provolone
• 6 oz thinly sliced fresh mozzarella or Swiss

Directions

1. Make the olive salad at least one day ahead: combine the green olives, kalamata olives, pimiento-stuffed olives, cauliflower, celery, carrot, capers, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and parsley in a non-reactive bowl.
2. Pour the olive oil and red wine vinegar over the olive mixture and stir until everything is coated and swimming in oil. Cover and refrigerate 24 hours to 1 week, stirring once a day so the flavors stay balanced.
3. Slice the muffuletta loaf horizontally into two rounds. Pull out some of the soft inner crumb from the top half to leave more room for the fillings, then place both halves cut-side up on a work surface.
4. Spoon about one-third of the olive salad (with plenty of its oil) evenly over the bottom half of the bread, spreading to the edges.
5. Layer the Genoa salami over the olive salad, then add the mortadella and capicola in even, slightly overlapping layers.
6. Top the meats with the provolone, then the mozzarella, covering the entire surface to the crust.
7. Spoon another generous layer of olive salad (and juices) over the cheese, then cap the sandwich with the top half of the loaf.
8. Press the sandwich firmly with the palms of your hands for about 30 seconds to compact the layers. Wrap tightly in two layers of plastic wrap.
9. Place the wrapped sandwich on a rimmed baking sheet, top with a cutting board, and weight it down with several heavy cans or a cast-iron skillet. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
10. Unwrap, cut into 4 wedges with a serrated knife, and serve at room temperature so the olive oil softens the bread and the flavors bloom.

Cook’s Notes

• The olive salad is the soul of the muffuletta, so make it at least 24 hours ahead and up to one week in advance, longer marinating means deeper flavor.
• Ask your deli to slice the meats and cheeses paper-thin so they layer neatly and the sandwich compresses without bulging.
• Do not skip the press, it allows the seasoned olive oil to soak into the bread and fuses the layers into the signature dense, juicy texture.
• Always serve at room temperature; a straight-from-the-fridge muffuletta tastes muted and the olive oil solidifies.
• If you cannot find a true muffuletta loaf, use a round sesame-topped Italian bread of similar size, or two stacked ciabatta loaves pressed together.

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