BASIL Pine Nut PANINI Sandwich | Tasty GRILLED CHEESE Sandwich
Homemade pesto sauce made with fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic and olive oil wrapped up in a grilled cheese sandwich that has a melted and gooey Swiss cheese and mozzarella filling. Our fresh BASIL PINE NUT PANINI SANDWICH is a summertime treat that your family will love. This sandwich is super easy to make and can be served as a last-minute lunch or dinner.
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• BASIL Pine Nut PANINI Sandwich | Tasty GRI...
BASIL PINE NUT PANINI SANDWICH
2 slices artisan bread
1 Tbsp pine nuts
prepared homemade basil pesto, to taste (recipe below)
Swiss cheese, sliced, enough to cover 1 slice of bread
fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced, enough to cover 1 slice of bread
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
optional add-ins: sun-dried tomatoes, grilled veggies, pepperoni, ham, etc.
1. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast pine nuts until golden-brown and fragrant. Remove from heat and allow pine nuts to cool.
2. Preheat panini press (see NOTES). Spread pesto on two slices of bread. On one slice of bread layer Swiss cheese, toasted pine nuts, add-ins (optional) and mozzarella cheese. Top with other slice of bread. Coat the outer side of both slices of bread with melted butter. Grill in panini press (or skillet) on both sides until cheese has melted and bread is golden-brown.
NOTES
1. If you do not have a panini press, toast sandwich in a skillet over medium-high heat until cheese has melted and bread is golden-brown. Flatten panini in skillet by pushing down on sandwich with a large, flat spatula.
FRESH BASIL PESTO
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, chopped if leaves are large
1/4 - 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted (See STEP 1 in the recipe above.)
1 large (or 2 small) cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
1. Place basil, pine nuts, garlic, salt and pepper into a food processor. Process on high speed, 30 seconds - 1 minute. If needed, scrape sides of food processor with a plastic spatula. Process again while slowly adding olive oil into the food processor until pesto reaches the consistency that you like. Transfer pesto to a large bowl. Whisk in cheese. Place into an air-tight container and refrigerate.
The key to making this panini is to make fresh basil pesto. That requires you to use in-season and aromatic fresh basil leaves. I like making basil pesto with toasted pine nuts, but you can substitute the pine nuts with toasted almonds. If you have a nut allergy, skip the nuts altogether. Once you make these panini sandwiches, you should have enough left over for making pasta or pizza. You can even eat it with veggies, chicken, steak, rice and more.
Treat yourself by recreating this sandwich at home,
Dana
MUSIC ATTRIBUTION
1. Rise Funk and Trunk by Windows of Ken (YouTube free music library, attribution not required)
2. Crazy by Patrick Patrikios (YouTube free music library, attribution not required)