Alex Luppi's Pita Bread Sandwiches

Name: Alex Luppi's Pita Bread Sandwiches
Yield: 6 to 12 servings
Ingredients: 1 ½ pounds link sausages (see note); ¾ pound sweet peppers, preferably yellow and red; ¾ pound zucchini, trimmed and cut into ½-inch cubes; Salt to taste, if desired; ½ pound mozzarella; 3 cups finely shredded romaine lettuce leaves; ⅔ cup herb mayonnaise (see recipe); Freshly ground pepper to taste; 2 red, ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into wedges, for garnish; 6 rounds pita bread

By Craig Claiborne and Pierre Franey

Updated August 16, 2015

Total Time: 35 minutes
Rating: 4(6)
Comments: Read comments

Featured in: A POCKET FULL OF SALAD

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Ingredients

Yield:Six to 12 servings

1 ½ pounds link sausages (see note)
¾ pound sweet peppers, preferably yellow and red
¾ pound zucchini, trimmed and cut into ½-inch cubes
Salt to taste, if desired
½ pound mozzarella
3 cups finely shredded romaine lettuce leaves
⅔ cup herb mayonnaise (see recipe)
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 red, ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into wedges, for garnish
6 rounds pita bread

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Preheat the broiler. Place a rack in a pan and arrange the sausages on top. Place under the broiler and cook, turning as often as necessary, until the sausages are cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes. Drain well. Let stand until they reach room temperature.
Step 2
Cut away and discard the core of each pepper. Cut each pepper in half. Cut away and discard the white inside veins and the seeds. Cut the peppers into half-inch pieces. There should be about two cups. Set aside.
Step 3
Drop the zucchini cubes into salted boiling water. Let cook about one minute, no longer. Drain immediately and run briefly under cold running water. Drain well.
Step 4
Cut the mozzarella into one-quarter-inch cubes. There should be about one and one-half cups.
Step 5
Cut the sausages crosswise into one-quarter-inch-thick rounds.
Step 6
Put the shredded lettuce in a mixing bowl and add the sausages, cheese, zucchini, sweet peppers and two tablespoons of the mayonnaise. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss to blend well.
Step 7
Transfer the mixture to a salad bowl and garnish with the tomato wedges. Cut the rounds of pita bread in half crosswise. They are now ready to be stuffed by guests with appropriate amounts of salad. Serve with the remaining mayonnaise on the side.

Tip

Ideally, this sausage would be a blend of two Italian sausages available in specialty shops that deal in Italian foods. Half of the sausages would be made with parsley and cheese, the remainder with spinach and garlic. Or use sweet and hot Italian sausage.