Spinach And Artichoke Parmesan Sandwich Recipe

You've had an eggplant or chicken parm sandwich, but what about a spinach and artichoke parm sandwich? This dish from chef and recipe developer Patterson Watkins offers a delicious take on an Italian-American classic.

While making a sandwich doesn't exactly require much prowess or experience in the kitchen, it can be a challenge to put together with the right composition of tastes and textures. The perfect sandwich is moist but not soggy, and this recipe is thoughtfully designed to make sure that neither the bread nor the fillings outshine one another. "The making of a good parm sandwich is keeping this balance between the wet ingredients and dry ingredients," Watkins says. "Pizza sauce helps us maintain that balance, as it's thicker and less juicy than marinara."

This recipe is also lighter, less messy, and easier to make than your average parmigiana recipe. Unlike a traditional chicken parmesan recipe, there is no frying or breading involved in this sandwich, which is also a great way to work more vegetables into your diet. "I'm making this recipe part of my Meatless Monday menu rotation," Watkins says. Grab some low-moisture mozzarella, and let's get started!

To make these spinach and artichoke parmesan sandwiches, you'll need marinated artichoke hearts, salt, black pepper, softened butter, garlic cloves, chopped chives, chopped basil, pizza sauce, low-moisture mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. You'll also need 1 long seeded Italian roll or 4 seeded hoagie rolls.

You'll also need some frozen whole leaf spinach. While you can use fresh spinach, Watkins recommends the frozen kind since it's more affordable and offers more spinach by volume. "One pound of fresh spinach won't yield as much as 1 pound of frozen spinach," she says. "Surprisingly, there's also less liquid in frozen spinach because it has been partially cooked before freezing, which means that it has expelled some of that water weight."

Preheat your oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with a wire rack, and spread the frozen spinach and artichoke hearts over the rack in an even layer. Season them with salt and pepper, and roast in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the spinach and artichoke hearts are hot, tender, and somewhat dehydrated.

Mix the butter, chives, basil, and garlic together in a medium-sized bowl, and mash and stir the ingredients together with a fork. Spread the seasoned butter over the split rolls, then place them on a large baking sheet, split side-up. Par-bake the rolls for 10 minutes, or until they are lightly golden in color.

Once you've par-baked your rolls, increase the oven temperature to 450 F. Set the top rolls aside, and divide the spinach and artichoke hearts among the bottom rolls. Spread the pizza sauce over the spinach and artichokes, and top with the sliced low-moisture mozzarella and grated parmesan.

Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake the sandwiches for 5-8 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and browned. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and cap the sandwiches with the roll tops before serving them right away. "These sandwiches are best eaten right out of the oven," says Watkins. "Keeping, storing, or refrigerating them will most certainly result in a soggy reheat."