Arrivederci Summer Panini Recipes

Steps:

• 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.)
• 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

Steps:

• Preheat an electric grill (such as George Foreman®) for medium heat. Spread olive oil on one side of each bread slice.
• Place one slice of bread, oil-side down, on the preheated grill. Spread 1/2 of the pesto on the bread and put a slice of mozzarella cheese over top. Arrange chicken over the cheese and top with remaining mozzarella. Spread remaining pesto on the other slice of bread and place on top of the sandwich.
• Close the grill and cook until cheese is melted and bread is golden brown and crispy, about 4 minutes.

Steps:

• 1. Combine the garlic, olive oil, ricotta, basil and salt in a food processor and blend for about 15 seconds or until the cheese turns pale green. Set aside. 2. Cut the slab of bread in half horizontally and then cut it into the size and shape of sandwiches you like. If the bread is fluffy, you can remove some of the center so that the ingredients will have a little well to settle in. 3. Slice mozzarella into 1/4-inch thick rounds. If the mozzarella hangs over the side of the bread, cut the rounds in half. 4. Drizzle the tomato slices with a some olive oil and season with a little salt and pepper. 5. Spread ricotta mixture on the top and bottom of each sandwich and place mozzarella slices inside. Press in a panini maker, or cook in a skillet with a weight on top on the sandwiches (there are numerous options here: a foil-covered brick, a filled tea kettle, a heavy cast-iron lid, etc) until cheese is melted. 6. Open the sandwiches and line with tomatoes, close them and serve.