Rocket Sandwich |Cooking With Amanda

When I lived in Rome, after the first couple of days being there on my own, I realized just how expensive living on my own in a foreign country was. It took my roommates and I a couple days, a couple nice meals out, and the exchange rate to smack us into reality pretty quick.

As soon as we realized how much we had to stretch our dollars, we went on the hunt for cheap eats around our apartment. There was this one sandwich shop with 3-euro sandwiches that actually tasted more delicious than all the pasta we'd been inhaling.

My favorite sandwich was a prosciutto rocket salad (aka arugula) served on a crusty French baguette that would keep me full all day. I've been recreating the sandwich for years at home, but I started to get bored with it.

I mean the flavors are amazing but it desperately needed more substance and more… something.

That something ended up being two things — avocado and a lemon pepper spread that is my new lifeline for all sandwiches. Shave a little Parmesan on top of it all and you have the ultimate picnic sandwich that is anything but ordinary. Just wrap it up and take it for lunch or even for a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood (a passeggiata if you want to get really into the Italian spirit).

Whenever I'm getting a little nostalgic about my time in Rome (or whenever I simply need a delicious sandwich fix), I have to bring out the rocket sandwich. Plus it's the best picnic sandwich EVER.

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Rocket Sandwich Recipe

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Ingredients

For the Lemon Pepper Spread:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

For the Sandwich:

1 cup arugula
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 thin french baguette, ends trimmed and cut in half
6 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced thin
shaved parmesan cheese

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper. Set aside.
In a separate small bowl, toss arugula with lemon juice and olive oil. Set aside.
Cut the baguette pieces in half lengthwise. Spread all 4 halves with a good helping of lemon pepper spread. To the bottom halves, add a layer of prosciutto, then dressed arugula, and a layer of sliced avocado. Top with shaved Parmesan and other halves of bread.