JOEY’S PORCHETTA SANDWICH WITH AJVAR

Place porchetta on rack lined with parchment paper in roasting pan. Add about 1 cup of water to the bottom of the pan. Cover with foil.

Roast in preheated 350°F oven for about 2 hours or until thermometer inserted into thickest part of roast reads 165°F, which will give you sliceable, tender meat. Uncover and roast for another 15 minutes to crisp slightly. Transfer roast to cutting board and let rest for 20 minutes before slicing. Remove netting and fat topping. Thinly slice one-third of the roast and reserve remaining roast for another meal (see tip).

Stir together ajvar and mayonnaise; set aside.

Cut buns and spread half of the ajvar onto bottom of buns and place on baking sheet. Top with rapini. Mound slices of porchetta onto sandwich bottoms and top with provolone.

Place in preheated 400°F oven for about 5 minutes or until cheese melts slightly.

Meanwhile, spread remaining ajvar on top buns. Place top buns onto sandwiches; cut in half and serve.

Veggie Variations: Substitute Longo’s Broccolini (285g pkg) or Longo’s Grilled Vegetables (385g pkg), coarsely chopped and heated, for the rapini.

Tips: Make more meals! Slice porchetta into 1/2-inch-thick slices and freeze in portions for a dinner served with Longo’s Red Skinned Mashed Potatoes and gravy. Or chop it up to create a delicious, chunky Bolognese with Longo’s Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce and toss it with your favourite Longo’s Pasta. It is also a wonderful addition to soups and stews.

Alternatively, thinly slice all the porchetta and use half to make more sandwiches and freeze the remaining half for up to 1 month.

Looking for some more flavour options for your sandwich? Try using Longo’s Basil Pesto or Sundried Tomato Pesto for the ajvar. Looking for a bigger, spicier kick of heat. Try Longo’s Crushed Hot Chili Pepper Spread as an option.

Make this sandwich your own and use Longo’s Roasted Red Peppers, caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms or your other favourite roasted vegetables to top this main course sandwich.