Spiedini alla Romana is an incredible Italian appetizer of bread and fresh mozzarella that’s skewered, roasted, and topped with a delicious buttery anchovy, and caper sauce. The result is a toasty and melty combination that is sure to impress anyone lucky enough to be on the receiving end!
When it comes to appetizers, Spiedini alla Romana is at the top of my list!
The combination of the toasted bread and fresh mozzarella is indulgent, and the caper-anchovy sauce is pretty much drinkable.
This Roman appetizer is perfect for gatherings and dinner parties alongside other appetizers, such as potato croquettes and stuffed mushrooms.
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Bread. I’m using a long loaf of Italian bread but you can also use country white bread, or even a wider loaf of rustic bread.
- Mozzarella. Traditionally, spiedini alla Romana is made with fresh mozzarella. As a shortcut, I like to buy the pre-sliced fresh mozzarella.
- Wine. I find that wine enhances the flavor of the sauce. Look for a dry white wine, such as a Sauvignon Blanc.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Preheat the oven to 500f. Slice 1 pound of fresh mozzarella and blot the slices with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture.
- Slice 1 large loaf of Italian bread into 1/2-inch thick slices and lay the pieces on a baking sheet to toast for 2-3 minutes.
- When the bread comes out, rub each piece with a garlic clove and set aside.
- Slice 5 cloves of garlic and mince 1 medium shallot and 1/4 cup of flat-leaf Italian parsley. Cube 6 tablespoons of butter and set aside. Heat a pan to medium heat with 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and shallot. After 1 minute, add the garlic and 6 large anchovy fillets and cook until golden. Use the back of a wooden spoon to smash the anchovies and break them up.
- Once the garlic turns golden, add 1/2 cup of dry white wine and 1 1/2 cups of low-sodium chicken stock and bring to a boil.
- Add 3 tablespoons of drained and rinsed capers, 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, and parsley, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Whisk in the butter, 1 cube at a time, until a smooth sauce forms. Add some fresh ground black pepper, then taste the sauce to determine if salt is needed. Since the anchovies and capers are already salty, you likely won’t need any more. Turn the heat down to the lowest level to keep the sauce warm.
- Top each slice of bread with a slice of mozzarella and another piece of bread. Repeat the process until you have 3-4 stacked sandwiches, then turn them on their sides and place 1-2 large skewers into each section to hold them together. Place the skewers on a foil-lined baking sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until browned on all sides. To ensure even cooking, turn the skewers every few minutes. Once the cheese starts to melt, press each section together so the cheese sticks to the bread on both sides. Place the spiedini onto a platter and pour the sauce all over the top and onto the platter. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Top tips
- Blot the cheese. Depending on the brand of fresh mozzarella you use, it may be very wet. It’s important to blot the cheese to remove excess moisture.
- Don’t oversalt. The sauce for spiedini alla Romana has salty ingredients, like capers and anchovies. For this reason, additional salt will likely not be needed. Also, be sure to use unsalted butter and either no-sodium homemade chicken stock or low-sodium chicken stock.
- Be creative. Feel free to be creative with the preparation here! I’ve seen spiedini done in a manner similar to mozzarella en carrozza where the sandwiches are battered and fried, then drizzled with the sauce.
More Italian appetizers
When it comes to appetizers, Italians know a thing or two. Here are a few of my favorite recipes; all of these would be perfect with an Aperol Spritz!
- Fried zucchini – crispy, golden, and perfect with lemon or marinara.
- Panzerotti – fried pockets of pizza dough stuffed with mozzarella and prosciutto.
- Arancini – Sicilian-style rice balls stuffed with ground beef, rice, peas, and cheese.
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Spiedini alla Romana
Spiedini alla Romana combines skewered slices of Italian bread and fresh mozzarella that are toasted until golden and melty and topped with a buttery lemon caper anchovy sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 large loaf Italian bread see notes below
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 pound fresh mozzarella sliced
For the sauce
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons capers drained and rinsed
- 6 large anchovy fillets
- 1 medium shallot minced
- 5 cloves garlic sliced
- 1/4 cup minced flat-leaf Italian parsley
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter cubed
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500f.
- Slice the bread into 1/2" thick slices and slice 1 pound of fresh mozzarella. Blot the mozzarella with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Lay the bread pieces out on a baking sheet and toast for 2-3 minutes. Once the bread comes out, rub each piece with a garlic clove and set aside.
- Heat a pan to medium heat with the olive oil and shallot. After 1 minute, add the garlic and anchovies and cook until golden. Smash the anchovies with a wooden spoon to break them up. Once the garlic turns golden add the wine and stock and bring to a boil. Add the capers, lemon juice, and parsley and reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Whisk in the butter, 1 cube at a time, until a smooth sauce forms. Add some fresh ground black pepper to the sauce and taste for salt. You will probably not need to add any salt. Turn the heat to the lowest level to keep the sauce warm.
- Top each slice of bread with a slice of mozzarella and a piece of bread. Repeat until you have 3-4 stacked sandwiches. Turn them onto their sides and place 1-2 large skewers into each section to hold together. Place the skewers on a foil-lined baking sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until browned on all sides. To achieve even cooking turn the skewers every few minutes. Also, once the cheese starts to melt, be sure to press each skewer section together so that the cheese sticks to the bread on both sides.
- Place the spiedini onto a platter and pour the sauce all over the top and onto the platter. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can use many types of bread for this dish. Toasted white bread, rustic loaves, or any thing you like.
- The skewers give a beautiful presentation but they can be omitted by simply not cutting all the way through the bread
- Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days in the fridge and can be reheated in an 350f oven until hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 688kcal | Carbohydrates: 21.5g | Protein: 30.6g | Fat: 52g | Saturated Fat: 27g | Cholesterol: 134mg | Sodium: 1130mg | Potassium: 178mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Calcium: 615mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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outstanding! loved it.
I cannot wait to try this out. I loovvvee the flavor profile 😋. Thanks Sip and Feast Fam.
We hope you love it!
I haven’t made this yet, but man, I am sitting here drooling. This looks so delicious. I need to get this into my body ….soon !!!
We hope you love it, Debra!
Hi Jim,
I’ve been watching you, and learning from you and Tara for years now. I remember when your kids could hardly see over the kitchen counter in your apartment! As a former science teacher, planetarium director, corporate customer service leader … I can’t tell you how proud I am to know you … your skills abound and if you ever get tired of cooking … you have a great future in food photography and parenting!
Fond regards,
Ed Kopec
Just want to give
We really appreciate the kind words; thanks Ed!
This looks interesting
What type of Mozarella ?(not fresh)
When serving a sandwich is a portion?
I’ll make it but sadly I can’t taste it as I can’t eat garlic?
As you suggested preparing your recipes without garlic when possible😋
Hi Patricia. Block mozzarella instead of fresh is fine and you will get about 4 portions from 1 loaf of bread. Garlic can be omitted for just shallots and the recipe will still work nicely. Enjoy!