Our tomato and eggplant sandwich is layered with crispy pancetta, creamy burrata, and a sun-dried tomato pesto—all piled onto toasted sourdough. It’s a flavor-packed, open-faced masterpiece and easily one of my all-time favorites.
If you love this Tomato Eggplant Sandwich, you will also love this Feta Grilled Cheese, Tomato Feta Sandwich or our Four Pita Pizzas!
Why you’ll love this tomato eggplant sandwich
Here is what you need
- Sourdough bread. You can use the bread of your choice.
- Red pesto. A versatile ingredient, it’s made with sundried tomatoes, parmesan cheese, and olive oil. It adds salty, peppery notes. It is available at most supermarkets or Mediterranean grocers. Substitute with a light layer of harissa paste (it can be spicy). You may use green pesto, it works just as well for a milder flavor.
- Eggplant. Half of a medium eggplant is enough.
- Tomato, garlic and oregano.
- Buratta cheese. The creamy white cheese can be substituted with fresh mozzarella.
- Pancetta. You can also go for thick bacon or guanciale.
Step by step
Step 1: Slice the tomatoes and the garlic and place on a plate. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil all over. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper and add some oregano leaves on top. Let tomatoes marinade while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Step 2: Cut the eggplant into thin slices.
Add a pinch of salt to the flour, mix well and place on a plate. Lightly dust the eggplant slices on both sides.
Step 3: Place a skillet on medium-high heat and add some olive oil. When the oil is hot but not smoking, fry the eggplant slices until they get a light golden color on both sides about 2-3 minutes.
Transfer eggplant slices to kitchen towels to absorb most of the oil.
Step 4: Wipe the skillet clean and place it on medium-high heat.
Slice the pancetta and fry until golden crispy about 3-4 minutes. Remove pancetta from the skillet and set aside with the eggplant.
Don’t clean the skillet from the rendered pancetta fat.
Step 5: Drizzle some olive oil on top of the bread slices. Toast the bread in the skillet over medium high heat until golden.
Step 6: Spread about a tablespoon of red pesto on a bread slice.
Step 7: Stack 3-4 eggplant slices and layer on top a couple of tomato and garlic slices. Break the burrata into pieces and place them on top.
Step 8: Add some pancetta and pour some leftover tomato marinade. Scatter some oregano leaves on top or some dried oregano. Enjoy!
Open-Faced Tomato Eggplant Sandwich With Pancetta
Equipment
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 sourdough bread slices
- ½ medium eggplant sliced very thin
- 1 tomato ripe
- 1 garlic
- 1 fresh oregano sprig or dried oregano
- 2 oz smoked pancetta thick slice, or thick bacon cut in strips or cubed
- 2 tablespoons red pesto
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil total, you might not use all of it
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Slice the tomatoes and add to a plate. Slice the garlic and place it on top. Pour two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil all over. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Add some oregano leaves on top. Let tomatoes marinade while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Slice the eggplant into thin slices.Season the flour with a pinch of sea salt, stir, and add to a plate. Lightly dust the eggplant slices on both sides.
- Add two-three tablespoons of olive oil to a skillet and place on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, fry the eggplant slices until they get a light golden color on both sides, about 2 minutes.Transfer slices to paper towels to absorb the oil and set aside.
- Wipe the skillet clean and place it on medium-high heat. Slice the pancetta and fry until golden crispy about 3-4 minutes. Remove pancetta from the skillet and set aside with the eggplant. Don't clean the skillet from the pancetta fat.
- Drizzle some olive oil on top of the bread slices. Using the same skillet over medium-high heat toast the bread slices until golden.
Assemble
- Spread about a tablespoon of red pesto on a bread slice. Stack 3-4 eggplant slices with a couple of tomato and garlic slices. Break the burrata into pieces and place them on top. Add half of the pancetta and pour some leftover tomato marinade and oregano leaves all over. Enjoy!
Notes
- If red pesto is hard to find you can spread an olive tapenade on the bread, halved pitted kalamata olives, or add a couple of chopped sundried tomatoes.
- Instead of fresh oregano use dried oregano.
- Substitute Buratta cheese with fresh mozzarella.
- If you can’t find smoked pancetta use smoked thick bacon, guanciale, or prosciutto.
- If you opt for prosciutto, it is best not to cook it. It is a lovely ingredient that will taste amazing just as it is. Toast the bread only in a little olive oil.
Nutrition
Absolutely delicious!!! I substituted burrata with feta and added some sliced kalamata olives on top of the tomato/garlic. Think this will definitely be a weekly rotation, since it’s perfect tomato season here in Florida. Definitely a light dish and filling. You gave this Greek girl another way to enjoy eggplant, which I absolutely love!!! Thank you for this and all your other delicious culinary dishes, all soo yummy and refreshing ❣❣❣❣
Hi Konstantina! thank you! So glad you like the open-faced sandwich, we love it as well. Your additions and modifications sound great, I personally love feta with everything and can’t go wrong with olives! I will try them as well.
x Jenny
This flavour combination is dynamite! I made it for my husband on the weekend and we enjoyed them for lunch. What a treat!
The pancetta was an excellent addition to this recipe. The combo of the three was heaven!
I’ve always preferred pancetta over bacon and it was delicious on this sandwich! Nothing beats a fresh tomato when it’s in season!
This flavor combination is Devine. I love the burrata with the pancetta, and sun-dried tomato pesto flavors! It was out of this world!
This open faved sandwich is just outrageous!😍🥰 Love the flavor combinations. That red pesto screams super tasty on that toasted bread, and when I read you toasted the bread in the pancetta rendering, I fell off my chair.
This is a ultimately elevated lunch! Thanks for sharing!😋🥰
This sandwich was delicious! My husband requested I make it again for lunch more often! Thanks for the share! Will definitely be making again!