Learn how to make Italian tramezzini with two easy fillings: tuna and mozzarella tomato. These soft Italian tea sandwiches are perfect for lunch, brunch, parties, or picnics.
Soft white bread, creamy fillings, and neat little triangles: Italian tramezzini are one of those simple foods I can never resist when traveling in Italy.
You can find them in cafés, train stations, bars, and bakeries all over the country, filled with everything from tuna to prosciutto or mozzarella. I can't forget the first ones we had in Venice many years ago.
The good news is that they are very easy to make at home. You only need soft white bread and a few simple ingredients.
I usually make two kinds: tuna tramezzini with capers and spinach, and mozzarella tomato tramezzini with pesto and basil. But fill them with anything you want, cut them into triangles, and call them tramezzini.
Honestly, my family can finish a tray of these in minutes. They like they do when I make Pork Belly Sandwiches or Danish Open-Faced Sandwiches.
Ingredients: 10 + salt & pepper | Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Servings: 4 sandwiches | Difficulty: Easy
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Recipe ingredients
Bread: Traditional tramezzini are made with very soft, crustless white bread called tramezzini bread. The slices are long, rectangular pieces, about twice the size of regular sandwich bread. Cut them in half before assembling the sandwiches.
- If you can't find tramezzini bread, regular white sandwich bread works perfectly well too; just remove the crusts first. Soft bread is best because it presses together nicely without breaking.
- You can also make these Tonkatsu Sandwiches using the same kind of bread.
Tuna: Use tuna packed in water and drain it very well before mixing the filling.
Spinach: Pat the spinach completely dry before assembling the sandwiches. Wet leaves can make the bread soggy quickly.
Tomatoes and mozzarella: Slice both and avoid adding too much filling. Overfilling makes the sandwiches difficult to cut neatly. Try this Mozzarella Tricolore Salad next with tomatoes and mozzarella, too.
Pesto: Use any pesto you like. Basil pesto is classic, but Mint Basil Pesto, Lovage Pesto are also very good here.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- Ham and cheese tramezzini
- Egg salad with chives
- Smoked salmon and cream cheese
- Prosciutto, arugula, and mozzarella
- Chicken salad with lettuce
- Roasted vegetables and pesto
You can also add sliced olives, cucumber, roasted peppers, or arugula to the fillings.
How to make tramezzini?
Step #1: If using tramezzini bread, cut the long slices in half crosswise. If using regular sandwich bread, remove the crusts. Leave half of the slices whole and cut the remaining slices diagonally into triangles for the tops.
Step #2: Mix the drained tuna, mayonnaise, capers, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
Step #3: Arrange spinach on the whole bread slices and spread the tuna mixture on top.
Step #4: Cover with the bread triangles, press gently, and cut diagonally into triangles.
Step #5: Slice the mozzarella and tomatoes thinly.
Step #6: Spread pesto on the whole bread slices. Top with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper. Cover with the bread triangles, press gently, and cut diagonally into triangles.
Tips
Bread: Use very soft, fresh bread for the best texture.
Cutting the bread: Prepare the bread triangles before adding the filling. This keeps the sandwiches neat and makes them much easier to cut later without pressing the filling out of the sides.
Don't overfill the sandwiches. A thinner layer is easier to eat and keeps the tramezzini tidy.
Press the sandwiches gently, not firmly, so the filling stays inside.
What to serve with tramezzini?
Tramezzini are great for brunches, baby showers, picnics, light lunches, or summer gatherings.
Serve them with:
- Olives and antipasti
- Tomato soup, like the Roasted Garlic and Tomato Soup or the Tomato Soup with Eggs
- A simple green salad
- They also fit very well on appetizer platters together with small savory snacks like Chicken Filo Parcels and Ham and Cheese Empanadas.
Storage
Tramezzini are best served fresh, ideally within a couple of hours after assembling.
If necessary, keep them refrigerated in an airtight container or cover them tightly with plastic wrap so the bread does not dry out. Leftovers will soften slightly but still taste very good.
Italian Tramezzini Recipe - Two Fillings
Equipment
- Bowl
Ingredients
Tuna tramezzini:
- 2 long tramezzini bread slices or 4 regular white bread slices Note 2
- 1 can tuna in water 5 oz
- 1 tablespoon capers finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 handful baby spinach as required
- fine sea salt and ground black pepper
Mozzarella and tomato tramezzini:
- 2 long tramezzini bread slices or 4 regular white bread slices
- 1-2 tablespoons pesto as required, Note 3
- 1 ball mozzarella 4.5 oz/125 g
- 2 small tomatoes or more as required
- 1 small bunch basil
- fine sea salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
- Bread: If using long tramezzini bread slices, cut them in half crosswise. If using regular sandwich bread, remove the crusts first. Leave 4 bread slices whole for the bottom of the sandwiches. Cut the remaining 4 slices diagonally into triangles; these will form the tops of the tramezzini (Note 4).2 long tramezzini bread slices or 4 regular white bread slices
Tuna filling:
- Wash the spinach, drain it well, and pat it dry with paper towels; it should be completely dry before assembling the sandwiches.1 handful baby spinach
- Mixture: Drain the tuna and place it in a bowl. Add the mayonnaise and finely chopped capers. Mix well and season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.1 can tuna in water + 1 tablespoon capers + 3 tablespoons mayonnaise + 1 teaspoon lemon juice + fine sea salt and ground black pepper
- Assemble tuna tramezzini: Arrange the spinach on the whole bread slices. Spread the tuna mixture evenly on top and press it down gently. Cover each sandwich with 2 bread triangles to form a square again. Press very gently, then cut diagonally through the center to make triangle sandwiches.
Tomato and mozzarella tramezzini:
- Prepare the bread as described above.2 long tramezzini bread slices or 4 regular white bread slices
- Prepare the other ingredients: Slice the mozzarella and tomatoes thinly. You should have enough slices to cover the bread evenly in a single layer.1 ball mozzarella + 1-2 tablespoons pesto
- Assemble tramezzini: Spread the pesto on the whole bread slices. Arrange the tomato slices on top in a single layer and season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the mozzarella slices and season them lightly as well. Top with several basil leaves. Cover with the bread triangles, press gently, and cut diagonally through the center to make triangle sandwiches.1-2 tablespoons pesto + tomatoes + mozzarella + 1 small bunch basil + fine sea salt and ground black pepper
- Serve immediately or within a couple of hours (Note 5).
Notes
- The nutrition was calculated for 1 tuna tramezzini. 1 tomato and mozzarella tramezzini has approximately 280 calories.
- Bread: I used long tramezzini bread slices. If you can find them, they are ideal for this recipe. If not, regular white sandwich bread works just as well; just remove the crusts before assembling the tramezzini.
- Pesto: Use your favorite pesto, homemade or store-bought. I usually make them with my Mint Basil Pesto or Wild Garlic Pesto.
- Cutting the bread: Cut the bread triangles before adding the filling. This makes the sandwiches much easier to assemble and cut neatly later without pressing the filling out of the sides.
- Serving: Tramezzini are best served immediately. However, you can make them up to 2 hours ahead. Leftovers will soften slightly but will still taste very good.
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