Roasted Vegetable Panini
Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 28 minutes Ingredients: Serves 4
1 multigrain boule 1 medium eggplant, sliced into 1/4dz thick slices and roasted 2 large red peppers, roasted (roast your own – instructions below – or buy pre-roasted peppers at your grocery store) 2 large zucchini, sliced into 1/4dz slices and roasted 1 lb smoked mozzarella cheese 1 jar Black Olive Paté Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil Pinch of sea salt
Instructions: First roast the eggplant and the zucchini. Heat your oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle the sliced vegetables with Colavita Olive Oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Roast them in the oven until soft, about 20 minutes, flipping them with metal tongs halfway through the cooking process. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Slice the multigrain boule into slices about 3/4 Dz thick. Spread Colavita Black Olive Paté onto the inside of each bread slice. Use about 1 tablespoon per slice. Place roasted zucchini and eggplant on top of the paté on one slice of bread. Layer the roasted peppers on top. Then add about 2-3 slices of smoked mozzarella on top of the peppers. Place the other slice of bread, paté side down, on top of the veggies. Brush both outer-facing sides of the Panini with Colavita Olive Oil. Repeat with the remaining bread slices.
Pear, Prosciutto and Pecorino Panini
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 8 minutes Serves 4
4 ciabatta rolls, sliced in half 2 Bosc pears, thinly sliced ½ lb Pecorino cheese, thinly sliced 8 slices prosciutto (2 per panino) Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil Colavita Balsamic Glace
Instructions: Slice your bread lengthwise. Then cut it horizontally (if you’re one long ciabatta loaf) so that each segment is about 6dz long. Place 3-4 Pecorino cheese slices on one slice of ciabatta. Layer about 2 slices of prosciutto slices on top of the cheese. Add about 3-4 slices of pear on top of the prosciutto. Drizzle some Colavita Balsamic Glace on one side of the other slice of bread. Then place this slice, glace side down, on top of the pears. Brush both outer-facing sides of the Panini with Colavita Olive Oil. Repeat with the remaining bread slices.
Tomato, Mozzarella and Pesto Panini
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 8 minutes Ingredients: Serves 4
1 or 2 baguettes cut into 6dz long segments 1 lb mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced 3 medium tomatoes, sliced ¼dz thick Colavita Pesto Sauce – about 2 tablespoons per panino Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Instructions: Slice your bread lengthwise. Then cut it horizontally so that each segment is about 6dz long. Spread about 1 tablespoon of Colavita Pesto each one side of each of the slices of bread. Place about 2-3 slices of mozzarella cheese on top of the pesto on one slice of the bread.
Add about 3-4 slices of tomato on top of the cheese. Place the other slice of bread, pesto side down, on top of the cheese. Brush both outer-facing sides of the Panini with Colavita Olive Oil. Repeat with the remaining bread slices.
Pressing Instructions: Heat 1 tablespoon of Colavita Olive Oil in a large skillet or grill pan over medium heat. Add your prepped panini, then press a heavy pan (like a cast-iron skillet or a panini press) on top to weigh it down. Cook until golden and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Use a spatula and an oven mitt to safely flip the panini to the other side. You can also use a fancy panini press, should you own one.
A few tips:
Bread: Dense bread is best because the pressing part of the panini process really does compress everything together. Choose breads that have some heft to them. Our favorites are baguettes, ciabatta rolls, thick cut multi-grain loaves, and of course, focaccia.
Grilling tips: A grill pan is best because it will give you the signature grill lines characteristic of panini sandwiches. If a grill pan is not available, you can use a cast iron skillet, but you’ll have to give up on your dreams of grill lines…unless you want to draw them in later. You can press the panini down with another skillet, or a panini press. You don’t need that much force here—you don’t want to squeeze the filling right out of the bread! Use a spatula to lift and flip. And have an oven mitt and a plate ready. If you have a panini press (like a waffle iron for sandwiches), you can use that and eliminate any flipping or guess work. We, at Colavita, like a little mystery, so we keep it real with the grill pan. Finally, no ones likes a soggy sandwich. So make sure to drain veggies like fresh tomatoes, or water-packed cheese that can soak up into the bread creating a sponge.
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