Spiedini alla Romona is absolutely heavenly. It originates in the Lazio region of Italy, home to Rome.
The baked bread, oozing with mozzarella is divine. But the sauce. Once again, it’s all about the sauce.
This dish could be in a museum, it’s so beautiful. But then, just wait until you take your first bite. Oh, you had me at Spiedini all Romana!
This Spiedini all Romana is a re-creation of one of our favorite dishes at one of our favorite restaurant institutions in NYC: Carmines.
Watch us show you how simple it is to make this most impressive dish. It’s almost as much fun to make as it is to eat! Almost…
HOW TO PREPARE SPIEDINI ALLA ROMANA
Don’t be afraid of the anchovies…they aren’t pronounced in the flavor profile, but add just enough depth to make this dish awesome.
Since the anchovies are chopped, and then pressed into the shallots as they cook, they literally almost melt into the sauce. You would never know they are there, but they add a depth to the sauce that is insanely good.
Just so good.
We love to get a nice large loaf of bread, and then cut off the ends and the sides to make it a long and rectangular shape. Then slice the bread into 1/4-inch or 1/2-inch slices.
Choose your favorite type of bread. We really love a nice sourdough loaf, but almost any kind will do.
Mmmmm…everything is all right when a beautiful loaf of bread is involved.
Now, the fun really begins.
Be sure to get good-quality fresh mozzarella. And then slice it into 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch slices.
Placing a skewer through the stacked bread and cheese keeps it all together as it bakes. You’ll want to rotate the sandwich 3 to 4 times as it bakes. Don’t worry if the cheese oozes out, that’s good…just push it back into place with a fork.
THE CUISINE OF LAZIO, ITALY IS DIVERSE, SOPHISTICATED AND DELECTABLE
We just love studying the different regions of Italy and how each has its own unique characteristics that are indicative of the land and the people who have lived there for centuries.
Read more about Cooking in Lazio from Made In Italy.
This dish is simply sublime. Once it goes on the platter, spoon the incredible sauce over it, and then either pull the bread apart and plate individually, or, do what we love to do, and let your guests pull their own gooey piece of Spiedini alla Romana.
Oh, yes. Just look at this dish.. You know what they say: When in Rome…
This is one of those appetizer dishes that is so impressive, but not really difficult to make. And you will make such an amazing impression when you serve this.
I make this appetizer quite often when we are hosting a dinner party, and it is easily one of the most talked-about dishes I have ever brought to the table.
Spiedini alla Romana is one of those rare dishes that is truly stunning in appearance, and then even better in taste, texture, and overall experience.
You MUST make this Spiedini alla Romana…it never disappoints. This is the perfect Italian appetizer, here’s what we think is the perfect Italian dessert, our Tiramisu!
OTHER CLASSIC ITALIAN STARTERS
Baked Clams
Mushrooms Stuffed with Sausage
Braised Artichokes
Baked Clam Dip
Garlic Parmesan Wings
Panzanella (Tomato and Bread Salad)
In the meantime, go forth and make this amazing Spiedini alla Romana!
Spiedini alla Romana
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 4 anchovy fillets, drained and coarsely chopped (we like the kind packed in oil, but packed in water works, too)
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/4 cup nonpareil capers, drained
- 6 large basil leaves, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large loaf rustic-style bread, round or rectangle loaf, not-sliced
- 1 clove garlic, cut in half
- 1 lb fresh mozzarella, sliced into 5 half-inch slices
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 500°F.
- In a medium-sized skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the shallot and cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes, until they are lightly browned.
- Add the anchovies and use the back of a fork to rub them into the shallots. Cook for about another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the wine and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the chicken stock and increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Let cook for 2 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium and add remaining butter, one tablespoon at a time, whisking often, until the sauce thickens a little.
- Stir in the capers, basil and parsley. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cover and remove from heat.
- Cut the ends off of the loaf of bread, and the sides, too, until you have a rectangular loaf of bread. Cut the loaf into 5 or 6 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch slices.
- Place the bread slices in the oven directly on the rack and toast them for about 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from the oven.
- Using the cut side of the garlic, rub it all over both sides of each toasted slice of bread.
- Place one slice of bread on a cutting board and place a slice of the thick-cut mozzarella on the bread. Repeat this process, ending with the last piece of bread.
- Spear the sandwich with a wooden (or metal) skewer and push all the way through so it will hold in place while it bakes.
- Transfer to a shallow baking pan and place in the oven for 16 minutes. Use oven mitts and tongs to rotate the sandwich once every 4 minutes. (Some of the cheese will melt out of the sandwich, but that's okay, just push it back into place with a fork or spoon).
- Transfer the spiedini to a serving platter, remove the skewer, and pour the warm sauce all over it.
- You can cut the spiedini into individual servings, or serve as is, and let guests pull apart their own portion.
Wow, Wow, Wow. It looked beautiful and it tasted delicious. I made the Spiedini for the first time and brought it to a friends house it was a hit. Such a beautiful presentation. The Spiedini was easy to make. I made the sauce earlier in the day and put the bread together about an hour before I was ready to go. I brought the sauce and bread separately and arranged when I got to my friends house so easy. I love your recipes Thank you
Hi Sandy! You just made our day! We are THRILLED you had such great success with the Spiendini and it sounds like you prepared and served it absolutely perfectly! Way to go! Thank you so so much for sharing and for the wonderful review! That honestly means so much to us! xoxo Kris & Wesley
THIS….IS….OUTSTANDING!!!!! Omg the best appetizer recipe I have ever made! I made this and it tastes just like Carmine’s in Times Square! We go to Carmine’s specifically for the Spiedini Alla Romana and NOW I can save the hour long drive each way and the crazy parking fees, tolls, and gas because I can make it at home thanks to you!!! I love you guys! Wish you had a show to watch on food network!!! Your recipes are always spot on! I can’t THANK YOU ENOUGH for this extra special treat of total yummy goodness!!!
Hi Eileen!! THANK YOU SO SO MUCH!!! We are THRILLED you had such great success with the spiendini! Isn’t it just the best? Now…you don’t have to drive to Times Square to have it! Although, dinner at Carmines is always wonderful! Thank you so so much for sharing and for the GREAT review. That means the world to us!!! xoxoxo
Are you freaking kidding me? This looks AMAZING! I found this while quarantining from my hubby (stoopid Covid) in our guest bedroom, dreaming of all the stuff I’m going to make when I get SPRUNG! This will be number one, and I cannot wait to dazzle my husband. 😉
And you guys are just too fabulous! I watched your video twice to soak it all in and grinned the whole time! Wanna come over for dinner? We’re in Austin. I won’t even make you cook unless you reallllllly want to!
In all seriousness, thanks for making my evening!
Signed the gal who loves anchovies so much she eats them outta the can!
Sorry guys! Submitted twice…didn’t think it posted the first time. I’m blaming it on Covid.
No worries! We LOVE hearing from you twice!! The more the better!!
Woo hoo!!!!
I recently had this at Carmines in Las Vegas…. life changing lol. Literally the best way I have ever eaten bread. Made it at home the following week using this recipe and it was just as magical. Soooo good?!?
HI Alison! It really is something to behold, right? So so happy you made it and enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing! xoxox
Ack! This looks amazing! I found it while being quarantined away from hubby in our spare bedroom and I’m torturing myself finding recipes to dazzle him with when I get outta here! This is going to be numero uno, and almost had me gnawing off my arm!! And just found you guys and freaking adore you! Off to pursue the rest of your site! Wanna come over for dinner? We’re in Austin. 😉 (I won’t even make you cook. Well, unless you want to!)
Signed the gal who loves anchovies so much I eat them out of the can!
Melisssa! You have no idea how happy this makes us…well, let’s back that up! We hope and pray you are getting better every hour and will back in the swing of things and in the kitchen whipping up this awesome dish, soon!! We love anchovies, too! But we also find that when we serve this to guests, and even those who say that hate anchovies, love this dish!!! We can hardly wait until you make the loaf and let us know how it all turns out!! Your hubby will love it and you even more!!! xoxo Kris & Wesley
I am from Bulgaria, we are not far from Italy, but I have never heard or seen Spiedini alla Romana. But I fell in love when I saw your recipe. I have the products and I am in a hurry to cook the wonderful dish. I can not wait. Thanks for the suggestion.
Hi Stefania!! It really is a spectacular dish. Please let us know if you make it and what you think! Sending lots of love from us in Texas to you in beautiful Bulgaria!! Kris & Wesley
Oh my…found your recipe on Pinterest and can’t wait to try it. Our favorite Italian restaurant in Houston (Tony Mandola’s) used to have Spiedini as an appetizer, but I think they used mozzarella wrapped with a good salami rather than bread…same sauce perhaps. Think I’ll try that too. Thanks! Vicki
Hi Vicki! This is such a wonderful appetizer! Always a crowd-pleaser! The Tony Mandola’s version sounds wonderful, too! You’re right…the sauce is what puts it over the top! Hope you enjoy it!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
This looks incredible! I will be making this soon. I hope I can find a rustic loaf this size.
Hi Jeanne! So sorry for the delayed response here! This is such an amazing dish. It works for various sizes of bread. We hope you make it and love it as much as we do! Please keep us posted! Best, Kris & Wesley
Hi Jeanne! Sorry for the delayed response! Various sizes of bread loaves will work. It’s sooooo good! We hope you find a loaf and have great success with the recipe! Please keep us posted! Best, Kris & Wesley
Looks wonderful. Used to eat Spiedini at the Grotto Azzura in NY’s Little Italy. They used small loaves of homemade bread, stuffed the loaves with mozzarella and I believe battered and deep fried. Served with a wonderful marinara. It was wonderful.
Hi Bill! It really is an amazingly delicious dish! And especially in Little Italy in NYC! The best!! Deep-fried, no doubt…wow!!! YUM!!
I’m a 79 year old who loves to cook and entertain. We have lived and travelled all over the world and OMG … I just found your recipe for Spiedini alla Romana. It looks absolutely amazing..as does all your recipes.
One of my favorite things to do is serve a small serving as a first course of “Julia Child’s Marco Polo Spaghetti.” This bread would be wonderful with it…..something light!!!! You Boys are amazing and I’m thrilled to follow you!
LYNN
Lynn!! We can’t even begin to express how happy your message has made us! Your menu sounds AMAZING!! Please let us know how everything turns out!! All the very best, Kris & Wesley
We loved it when we first had it and reorder whenever possible. Will try an at home version but doubt it will be the same!’
Let us know! We think it’s pretty delicious!
That sauce recipe looks amazing! I’m going to try. An Italian restaurant about 30 yrs ago that had a fantastic version on their menu. I’m trying to recreate it for my family but hard to find a recipe to follow 100%. This recipe looks perfect until math comes in. If I’m cutting a loaf into 5 or 6 slices at 1/4″ to 1/2″… well that loaf of bread is somewhere between 1 to 3 inches long?
5 x 1/4″ = 1.25 inches
6 x 1/2″ = 3 inches
The pictures give a good visualization but it’s still hard to figure out what size loaf we are shooting for.
Hi Heather!! Sorry for the delayed response, we’re dealing with power outages!! We use about a 4 to 6 inch loaf, and then cut into nice thick slices, you’ll be golden! Let us know if you have any other questions and then if you make the loaf and what you think! We think you’ll love it!!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
I made this tonight and it was fantastic! Love the video too. So fun.
Hi Jessica!! That’s so awesome! Isn’t that the best dish? We love it so much, too!! Thank you for letting us know!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Is the halved garlic clove roasted or raw?
Hi Vincent, it’s raw. Just use to to rub on the bread. Gives the bread a hint of the garlic taste. Let us know if you make it and how it turns out!! Best, Kris & Wesley
Excellent – awesome – better than any restaurant and I know my Spedini
Awesome, Marie! That is so awesome to hear! We love this spiendini recipe so much!! So glad you did, too, and thank you so much for letting us know! We truly appreciate so very much! All the best, Kris & Wesley
I made this last night for a summer party using a large ciabatta loaf. I should have made two it was eaten so fast. Honestly, I’m shocked there aren’t thousands of comments on how flat-out delicious this dish is. Everyone raved – especially my husband who had mocked me taking 30 minutes to make “garlic bread”. A keeper I will be making regularly.
That is so fantastic to hear!! We think it’s a real show-stopper, too! I think some folks are little concerned about the anchovies…but the taste is so subtle, and just really deepens the flavor profile so much. We are thrilled you had success with this dish! And thank you so very much for letting us know. That truly means the world to us. Please stay in touch!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
This looks insanely good.
This is making me drool just looking at it. My Italian heart is happy! Can’t wait to try making it for Marc and I 🙂