Recipes : Grilled Vegetable Panini : Food Network

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Grilled Vegetable Panini
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
2 small Japanese eggplants or 1 medium to large regular eggplant, cut crosswise
into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 zucchini, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 small red onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 baguettes (each about 2 feet long)
1/2 cup Basil Pesto, recipe follows
8 ounces fresh water-packed mozzarella cheese, drained, sliced
2 tomatoes, sliced
1/2 cup roasted red peppers

8 large basil leaves, optional

Directions
Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle the
oil over the eggplant, zucchini, and onion slices, then sprinkle with salt and
pepper. Working in batches, grill the eggplant, zucchini, and onions until they
are tender and grill marks appear, about 4 minutes per side. Cool completely.

Cut each baguette into 6 pieces. Working with one baguette piece at a time, slice
in half and spread both sides with the pesto. Working with the bottom slice of the
baguette, stack 2 slices of eggplant, 2 slices zucchini, 1 slice onion, 1 slice
tomato, 1 slice mozzarella, and 1 slice of roasted pepper. Sprinkle with salt and
pepper. Place top half of baguette on top and continue with remaining baguette.
(The sandwiches can be made 4 hours ahead. Wrap well with plastic wrap and

refrigerate.)

Ingredients
Basil Pesto:

Directions
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup (about) extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

In a blender, pulse the basil, pine nuts, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4
teaspoon of pepper until finely chopped. With the blender still running, gradually
add enough oil to form a smooth and thick consistency. Transfer the pesto to a
medium bowl and stir in 1/2 cup of cheese. Season the pesto with more salt and
pepper, to taste. (The pesto can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Yield: 1 cup
Prep Time: 10 minutes