serves
4
prep
20 minutes
cook
5 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
4
people
preparation
20
minutes
cooking
5
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- 8 slices sourdough bread
- 100 g butter, softened at room temperature
- 8 slices prosciutto or jamon serrano or ham
- 8 slices taleggio or your favourite soft melting cheese
Pesto
- 50 g pistachio slivers
- 50 g grated pecorino cheese
- 1 garlic clove
- 100 g basil leaves
- 100 g baby spinach or baby warrigal greens
- 100 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- lemon juice, to taste
Instructions
- For the pesto, in a mortar and pestle, crush the pistachios and pecorino until fine. Add the garlic and pound into a paste. Add the basil and spinach with the olive oil in three additions and pound until a fine pesto forms. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
- Butter both sides of the bread. Top half the bread slices with the prosciutto, taleggio and a good dollop of pesto, then cover with the remaining bread.
- Heat a large heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Add the toasties and place a weight on top, such as another frying pan or a plate with a bowl on top and cook until golden and crisp on both sides. Cut and serve.
Photography by Danielle Abou Karam.
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Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

