I’ve been on a pretty intense vegetarian Italian panini kick, and therefore roasted red peppers have been featured in most of my creations. Here are my top 4 Italian-inspired red pepper sandwiches/paninis that you absolutely have to try.

All these sandwiches utilize different combinations of delicious Mediterranean/Italian ingredients like roasted red pepper, tomato, basil, red onion, artichokes, spinach, balsamic vinegar, vegan mozzarella, olive oil, and more!

If you don’t have a panini press, here are my tips:

1. Cook on medium-low the whole way through to avoid burning.

2. Butter the outsides of your bread with vegan butter.

3. Use a non-stick pan or cast iron.

4. Flip every couple of minutes.

5. Use a small pot lid to gently press your panini down and speed things up without risking burning the bread.

Vegetarian Roasted Red Pepper Italian Panini

The culmination of all good Italian flavors. Roasted red peppers with artichokes is a magical combination. You get the marinated zing along with the simple smokey goodness of the red peppers. This is a perfect after-work treat or snack on a rainy weekend afternoon.

Ingredients You’ll need

• Bread of choice

• Vegan butter

• Roast pepper hummus or garlic hummus

• Vegan Mayonnaise (or regular)

• Vegan cheese (or regular)

• Roast garlic cloves (2-3)

• Artichoke hearts (rinsed from a can, I like to slice mine even smaller)

• Roast red pepper slices (pat dry before using)

• Balsamic Vinegar

• Olives (green or black)

• Arugula

• Vegan crispy baked eggplant slices (optional, click here to see my tips on crispy baked eggplant)

Vegetarian Mediterranean Roasted Red Pepper Sandwich

This sandwich, with the addition of panko-breaded eggplant, was a filling Italian masterpiece! There was a huge variety of texture in every bite which made this sandwich very exciting and pleasing to eat. Beyond that, all the flavors blended perfectly together with the smokey roasted red (and yellow) peppers.

Ingredients You’ll need:

• Vegan butter

• Bread of choice

• Spinach leaves

• Roasted red peppers

• Tomato slices

• Kalamata olives

• Sliced red onion

• Vegan cheese

• Balsamic vinegar

• Olive oil

• Oregano

• Hummus

Spinach, Artichoke, Roast Red Pepper & Mozzarella Panini

Wow. This sandwich was absolute comfort food goodness! Creamy vegan cheese, with the mild marinated artichoke heart flavor, along with spinach, and red pepper. It almost felt like an elevated artichoke-spinach dip in blessed sandwich form.

Ingredients you’ll need:

• Bread of choice

• Vegan butter

• Spinach leaves

• Rinsed and chopped artichoke hearts from a can

• Roasted Red Peppers

• Kalamata olives

• Sprinkle dried basil

• Splash of Balsamic vinegar

• Vegan mozzarella (or regular cheese)

Vegetarian Roasted Red Pepper & Pesto Panini

This vegan/vegetarian sandwich was packed with fresh herbal flavor! It turned out to be one of my favorites which I was not expecting at all! Sometimes those classic old-school Italian flavors are truly all you need.

Ingredients you’ll need:

• Bread of choice

• Vegan butter

• Vegan mozzarella

• Vegan pesto

• Roasted peppers (red or yellow)

• Tomato slices

• Arugula

• Red onion

• Vegan mayonnaise

Quick tips for Roasted Red Pepper Sandwiches

Tip 1 - Yes, you should take the peel of the red pepper off.

I never used to take the peel off when I roasted my red peppers. This meant before the skin got broiled or darkened I’d quickly take them out of the oven.

This made me miss out on the delicious smokey flavor that roasted red peppers can have after you’ve really charred the skin. Obviously, the skin is inedible at that point but after peeling it off the smokey flavor is infused with the red pepper and it is much more flavourful.

Tip 2 - Drain, drain, drain those red peppers

I keep my red roasted red peppers in Tupperware with a light bit of salt on them. I notice every day that there is a new liquid at the bottom of the jar! I just carefully hold the peppers and drain out the excess liquid.

I also pat the peppers dry before using them each time!

Tip 3 - After charring red peppers, let them cool before peeling

This is a 2 for one, another bonus of really roasting your red peppers well is that the skin is extremely easy to peel off. I highly recommend waiting at least 10 minutes before you attempt to peel them.

I used a fork to help me get under the skin on the bottom or top edge, from there it is very easy to just use your hands to peel it off.