What's not to love about the marriage of pizza and a quesadilla? Bellissimo! Flour tortillas are stuffed with Italian favorites like prosciutto, Coppa, mozzarella, sweet roasted red peppers, briny olives and a creamy and savory sun-dried tomato aioli.
You will want to find a place for these Italian quesadillas on the menu the next time you host a casual gathering. And, they will quickly become a weeknight family meal favorite -- easy to prepare, convenient to customize and quick clean-up!
Several years ago while on a trip to Italy, I remember continually seeing what I soon came to realize was a chain restaurant and thought it was only culturally correct to indulge. (Italy is all about the food right?)
While, the chain's name is lost on me, but it offered something that looked like a very flat piece of bread filled with all of those WONDERFUL Italian deli stuffs that one might expect to find on pizza -- or a sandwich. With all sorts of varieties. The thin bread was folded in half and grilled and served much in the same way one might expect of the more familiar "quesadilla".
The Italian Piadina
They are called "piadina" and not all that well known in the U.S. hence calling them an "Italian Quesadilla" -- or the mildly more authentic "Quesadilla Italiano" -- made far more sense for this undertaking.
These Italian quesadillas rely on things that are readily available in your grocery deli section and also lend themselves well to tons of customization. They are perfect to serve at an "adult" party or as a quick and unexpected weeknight family meal. And what great fun would it be for kids to participate in preparing at a sleepover or birthday party. (With some adult involvement.)
I've already earmarked Italian Quesadillas for few upcoming social events to serve alongside some of my other favorites like:
- Lemony Mediterranean Buttermilk Coleslaw
- Queso Fundido with Chorizo
- Little Smokie "Hot Dog" Pretzel Bites
Ingredients
Sun-dried Tomato Aioli ingredients
Italian Quesadilla Ingredients
- olive oil
- large yellow onion
- jarred roasted red bell peppers
- garlic
- balsamic vinegar
- mayonnaise
- sun-dried tomatoes and marinade
- pepperoncini peppers and brine
- flour tortillas
- low-moisture mozzarella
- Castelvetrano olives
- prosciutto
- Coppa salami
- cooking spray (recommended if using a non-stick skillet)
See recipe card for quantities.
Jump to RecipeInstructions
Combine all of the ingredients to the bowl of a food processor or blender.
Blend until combined.
Place olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and saute, stirring regularly, until translucent and starting to turn golden, about 10 minutes.
Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir roasted red peppers and a splash of balsamic and saute until liquid has reduced. Transfer to a bowl and reserve.
Preheat oven to 250°F.
Arrange tortillas on a clean dry surface.
Spread about 3 tablespoons of aioli evenly over the bottom half of each tortilla.
Sprinkle ⅓ cup shredded mozzarella evenly over the aioli.
Arrange onion/pepper mixture evenly over the mozzarella.
Sprinkle a tablespoon of olives over the top of the onions/pepper mixture.
Tear prosciutto into smaller pieces and arrange evenly over the mozzarella.
Divide Coppa salami evenly over the top of the prosciutto.
Distribute remaining mozzarella evenly over the top of the prosciutto.
Fold top of tortilla over the bottom half and press down lightly.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large (12”) non-stick skillet or griddle pan. Lightly brush one side of each quesadilla with olive oil.
One at a time, transfer quesadilla to the skillet oil side down. Lightly brush top with olive oil and press down with the back of a spatula.
Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until light golden brown and flip. Repeat on the other side until golden and cheese has melted. Transfer quesadilla to a baking sheet and keep warm in oven.
Repeat with remaining quesadillas.
Cut into wedges and serve.
Helpful Hints
Using a non-stick skillet or griddle is best here. If you don't have one, use cooking spray to make sure the quesadillas don't get "stuck". (They will. I learned the hard way.)
To make sure each quesadilla is similar in size, it works best to lay all four tortillas out on the counter at one time and approach layering the fillings in assembly line fashion.
It's fine if the sun-dried aioli stays a little chunky. (It's really yummy and would be fantastic on a sandwich or with scrambled eggs or an omelette.)
Substitutions
- to come
Variations
- to come
Equipment
- food processor or blender
- large (12-inch) skillet (preferably non-stick) or large griddle pan
Storage | Re-heating
These are best eaten immediately. However, they can be made in advance and kept warm in the oven at 250°F.
To reheat on the stove-top, warm in a skillet over medium-low heat for a few minutes on each side until cheese has melted.
To reheat in the oven, place on a parchment lined baking sheet and reheat in the oven for 5 or 10 minutes at 350°F until cheese has melted.
These will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; these are not suitable for freezing.
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🍽️ Recipe
Italian Quesadillas | Quesadilla italiano
Equipment
- food processor or blender
- 12-inch skillet or large griddle, preferable non-stick
Ingredients
- sun-dried tomato and pepperoncini aioli, recipe follows
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced thin
- ½ cup diced jarred roasted red bell peppers
- 2 cloves garlic
- splash of balsamic vinegar
- 4 10-inch flour tortillas
- 16 ounces shredded low-moisture mozzarella
- ¼ cup chopped Castelvetrano olives
- 6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
- 3 ounces thinly sliced Coppa salami, or 3 ounces pepperoni
- olive oil
- cooking spray (recommended if using a non-stick skillet)
Sun-dried Tomato and Pepperoncini Aioli
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup diced sun-dried tomatoes and 1 tablespoon marinade
- 1-½ tablespoons chopped pepperoncini peppers + 1 teaspoon brine
- 1 garlic clove
Instructions
Prepare Aioli:
- Combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or blender and blend until combined.
Prepare Onions and Peppers:
- Place olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring regularly, until translucent and starting to turn golden, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Stir in the roasted red peppers and a splash of balsamic and continue cooking until liquid has reduced. Transfer to a bowl and reserve.
Assemble Quesadillas:
- Preheat oven to 250°F.
- Arrange tortillas on a clean dry surface.
- Spread about 3 tablespoons of aioli evenly over the bottom half of each tortilla.
- Sprinkle ⅓ cup shredded mozzarella evenly over the aioli.
- Arrange onion/pepper mixture evenly over the mozzarella.
- Sprinkle a tablespoon of olives over the top of the onions/pepper mixture.
- Tear prosciutto into smaller pieces and arrange evenly over the mozzarella.
- Divide Coppa salami evenly over the top of the prosciutto.
- Divide remaining mozzarella evenly over the top of the prosciutto.
- Fold top of tortilla over the bottom half and press down lightly.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large (12”) non-stick skillet or griddle pan. Lightly brush one side of each quesadilla with olive oil. One at a time, transfer quesadilla to the skillet oil side down. Lightly brush top with olive oil and press down with the back of a spatula.
- Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until light golden brown and flip. Repeat on the other side until golden and cheese has melted. Transfer quesadilla to a baking sheet and keep warm in oven.
- Repeat with remaining quesadillas adding additional olive oil if needed.
- Cut into wedges and serve.
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