Holy Stromboli!

Stromboli shares a lot in common with my beloved calzone. It’s fun to make, tastes great, and shares similar ingredients. But this Italian styled sandwich deserves its own story.

As the story goes, a cook by the name of Nazzareno Romano was playing around in a small pizzeria just outside of Philadelphia when he created this instant classic – a sandwich stuffed with Italian meats, cheese, and spicy peppers.

The only thing missing was the name. It wasn’t until Romano’s future brother-in-law suggested naming the sandwich after the classic 1950s film, Stromboli, a movie made even more famous because of the notorious affair between director Roberto Rossellini and actress Ingrid Bergman.

As the Philadelphia Inquirer put it, a spicy sandwich is deserving of the name that sparked the spicy affair.

And as with most popular foods, Stromboli has taken on many interpretations and forms as it spread across the country – all of which I’m sure are delicious. While this recipe strays from the original a bit, it still maintains some of that spicy kick. And it made for a great meal for our Easter Sunday Dinner. Like any other recipe, feel free to experiment with this one to match your preferred tastes.

Time You’ll Need:

• Prep: 20 minutes
• Cooking: 10-12 minutes

What You’ll Need:

• 1 egg
• 1 cup of Mozzarella or Italian Cheese Blend
• 1 lb pizza dough (store bought or homemade)
• 4 slices of provolone cheese
• 6 slices of ham
• 12 slices of pepperoni
• 6 slices of salami
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 cup of preferred marinara/pasta sauce (I went with a spicy Arrabbiata red sauce to give it a nice kick)
• Seasoning: salt, pepper, red pepper, basil, garlic powder

What You’ll Do:

• Preheat oven to 450.
• Roll out pizza dough on flat surface (use parchment paper or extra flour to prevent sticking).
• Spread 1 cup of pasta sauce evenly over one half of the pizza dough. Season the sauce with a dash of red pepper to taste, salt, pepper, basil and minced garlic.
• In layers, start by adding the provolone slices along the half the pizza dough with sauce. Then add the ham, salami, and finally pepperoni.
• Next, add the shredded mozzarella cheese on top of the layered meats.

• Starting with the bottom edge of the dough, begin to jelly roll it up. Watch this video to get an idea how.
• Crack the egg and beat it. Brush the sides of the dough with the egg to help seal edges.

• Melt the butter, season it with garlic powder and more basil and brush it evenly over the dough. Take a knife and make some deep cuts across the top of the dough to let it breathe.

• Place on a greased sheet and bake for about 10-12 minutes until golden brown.

• Serve with extra marinara sauce!