I’ll be honest, there are some celebrities that I follow on social media solely for their food content. Sure, I love a Giada or Ina Garten recipe as much as the next person, but I’d be lying if I said my most-used recipes didn’t come from Hollywood stars, like Jennifer Garner or Stanley Tucci. In fact, the Tucc is responsible for quite a few of my all-time favorite recipes, like his béchamel, peas, and pancetta pasta casserole and classic bowl of pastina.
Recently, after the holidays left him with “no leftovers,” Tucci took to Instagram and shared a simple, five-ingredient recipe that requires very little cooking and will satisfy hunger in minutes. It’s a grilled sandwich, or toasty, made with some of Tucci’s all-time favorite ingredients.
Stanley Tucci’s 5-Ingredient Toasty
It’s no secret that Tucci loves a sandwich—almost as much as he loves pasta. But, add a few Italian ingredients to a sandwich and you’ve got yourself the Tucci special.
The “Conclave” actor once told Allrecipes that he likes to upgrade his grilled cheese “with ham, tomato, some type of meltable cheese, and maybe a little bit of pesto”—and that’s exactly what he did for his easy, post-holiday meal.
In the video, Tucci adds cooked ham, or Italian prosciutto cotto, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and homemade pesto to two slices of sourdough bread. He then places the sandwich in a panini press with both butter and olive oil and clamps it shut for a few minutes. Tucci also adds butter to the inside of the sandwich, but after trying it, I don’t necessarily understand why, as it doesn’t add much flavor to an already flavorful sandwich—so I’ve omitted it in my attempts since and not noticed a difference. The sandwich is grilled to toasted, golden perfection, and he serves it cut into fourths as the pesto, tomato, and melty mozzarella ooze out.
There’s a reason this recipe is on standby in the Tucci household: It’s utterly delicious. The ham adds heartiness and salty flavor; the tomato brings a fresh, juicy bite; the mozzarella is perfectly melty; and the pesto is bright and keeps the sandwich from being dry. I don’t have a panini press, so I made the sandwich like any grilled cheese, in a skillet. And while my sandwich wasn’t as squished together as Tucci’s, it still had the melty, cheese pull and crispy bread.
I’ve made Tucci’s toasty recipe quite a few times since seeing his video because it’s just so simple and tasty. However, now that my ham supply is dwindling, I’m excited to try the combination with other deli meats, like turkey or even sliced chicken breast.
I can’t see this easy meal getting old anytime soon, so you’ll find me making this sandwich until Tucci posts his next Instagram recipe.
Dining and Cooking