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1
Preheat the oven to 450F.
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2
Put the vegetables in a large bowl and toss them with the oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper, turning to coat.
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3
Lay the vegetables in a single layer on cookie sheets (the peppers should be skin side up) and bake for 30 minutes, until well roasted.
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4
Put the peppers into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let steam for about 10 minutes to loosen the skins; then peel.
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5
Reserve the roasted garlic cloves for the olive tapenade.
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6
Set the rest of the vegetables aside to cool to room temperature.
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7
Peel the skins off the roasted garlic.
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8
In a food processor, combine the olives, anchovies, capers, red wine vinegar, red pepper flakes, basil, oil, and roasted garlic cloves.
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9
Pulse until the mixture is well blended.
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10
To make the sandwich, cut the bread loaf in half horizontally.
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11
Pull out all but 1 inch of the bread from the inside of each half to create a cavity.
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12
Spread the tapenade in one even layer inside the bread, making sure to do both halves.
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13
You will have a little olive paste left over; set it aside for the vegetables.
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14
Start stacking the roasted vegetables inside the bottom half of the bread.
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15
I like to keep the colors together; it looks nicer when you cut it that way.
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16
Season each layer with salt and pepper.
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17
Alternate every third layer with mozzarella and then a little of the olive tapenade.
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18
Stack the vegetables in a slight pyramid formation so the top will fit.
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19
Continue layering the vegetables and cheese until the loaf is full and all the vegetables have been used.
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20
Cap the sandwich with the top half of the bread and press it slightly.
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21
Place the muffuletta on the center of a very big piece of plastic wrap.
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22
Fold the plastic over the top to cover and then twist the ends really tight to compress the sandwich.
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23
When ready to eat, slice the sandwich like a pie with a serrated knife.