Paninis are my absolute favorite kinds of sandwich. I can’t even recall a time when I had a bad panini! Now that we have a panini press, I’m excited to try different variations of this grilled sandwich. My go-to paninis usually involve chicken and cheese (a recipe is in the works for that too). Tonight, to pair with a Simple Bell Pepper Soup I wanted to make, I thought going a less dense route would be best. Enter, this tomato, basil, and mozzarella panini!
Fresh basil makes all the difference if you have it available to you, and whole wheat/grain bread is a healthy bread option. However, we found plain panini buns that are the perfect size for sandwiches such as these. I will be adding pesto and trying other sauce/spread combinations as time goes on, so stay tuned!
Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella Panini
Ingredients
2 slices Whole Wheat Bread (Or Panini Buns, Ciabatta, etc)
1/2 cup Part-Skim Mozzarella, shredded
1 Roma Tomato, thinly sliced
1 Red Onion, thinly sliced, amount to your liking
8 Fresh Basil Leaves
A dash of Salt and Pepper
1 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Instructions
Spread olive oil with a pastry or basting brush over two slices of bread. Sprinkle each with salt and pepper.
Place one of the bread slices, oil-side down and top basil leaves, tomato slices, onion, and mozzarella. Top with other piece of bread, olive oil side up.
Place in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat on the stovetop or use a Panini press.
If using a skillet, press down with lid to flatten the sandwich a bit. Cook for about 2 minutes, until golden on the bottom, and flip. Repeat on other side.
Enjoy!
Related:
Café TWIGS
Delicious Panini (Without a Press!)
Travel Blog: Road Trips to Vermont (With NY Dining)