Indulge in a symphony of flavors with our grilled eggplant panini, a culinary masterpiece that marries the smoky allure of grilled eggplant with the tangy zest of basil aioli. This delectable sandwich features tender eggplant slices, perfectly grilled to retain their succulent texture, enveloped in a warm, crusty panini bread. Layers of creamy goat cheese and sharp provolone add a delightful richness and complexity, while the sun-dried tomato pesto infuses each bite with a burst of savory goodness. Accompanying this flavor-packed creation is a tantalizing basil aioli, a vibrant condiment crafted from fresh basil, tangy lemon juice, and a hint of garlic, delivering a refreshing herbaceousness that complements the panini's robust flavors. This recipe offers a delightful blend of textures and flavors, making it a perfect choice for a satisfying lunch or a light dinner.
Let's cook with our recipes!
GRILLED VEGETABLE PANINI
Provided by Giada De Laurentiis
Categories main-dish
Time 30m
Yield 12 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
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
GRILLED EGGPLANT PANINI WITH BASIL AIOLI RECIPE - (4/5)
Provided by Cheryl-4
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Preheat grill or oven to medium heat, about 350°F. If using oven, place rack 3 to 4 inches from heat. For basil aioli, place mayonnaise, basil, Parmesan, chives, salt and pepper in a blender; cover, and process until smooth. Set aside. Brush eggplant and peppers with oil. Roast 3 to 4 inches from broiler or on a covered grill until tender, 4 to 5 minutes per side. When cool enough to handle, chop peppers. Set vegetables aside. Spread cut sides of each Ciabatta roll with 2 tablespoons basil aioli. Top each with 1 slice of cheese. Layer bottom halves of rolls with eggplant and peppers and replace tops. In a Panini press or on the grill, cook the sandwiches until cheese is melted, 5 to 7 minutes. Serve with remaining aioli on the side. Refrigerate leftover aioli for later use.
ITALIAN GRILLED EGGPLANT WITH BASIL AND PARSLEY (MELANZANE GRIGLIATE AL BASILICO E PREZZEMOLO)
This Italian side dish (aka 'contorno') couldn't be easier! We make this often during the summer, when we have an abundance of basil and parsley growing in our garden. Works well with zucchini, too!
Provided by Kim's Cooking Now
Categories Appetizers and Snacks
Time 20m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
- Brush eggplant lightly with olive oil on both sides. Stir together remaining olive oil, garlic, and salt in a small bowl.
- Arrange eggplant slices on the preheated grill and cook, turning occasionally, until tender and browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
- Arrange grilled eggplant on a platter. Brush with the olive oil and garlic mixture until eggplant has absorbed the oil. Sprinkle with the chopped basil and parsley and serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 203.8 calories, Carbohydrate 8.4 g, Fat 19 g, Fiber 4.7 g, Protein 1.5 g, SaturatedFat 2.7 g, Sodium 76.3 mg, Sugar 3.2 g
GRILLED EGGPLANT PANINI
Grilling eggplant slices on a panini grill is worth the price of the grill. They're ready in 2 or 3 minutes, and if you don't use them for this sandwich you can top them with tomato sauce, chop them up and toss them with pasta or rice, or drizzle them with vinaigrette and sprinkle with feta and fresh herbs, such as mint, parsley, basil, or marjoram.
Provided by Martha Rose Shulman
Time 30m
Yield Serves 1
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt and let sit for 15 minutes. Pat dry and brush lightly with olive oil.
- Preheat a panini grill and place the eggplant slices in it in an even layer. Grill 3 minutes, until cooked through and nicely marked by the grill. Remove from the heat.
- Spread a little pesto on the bottom slice of bread. Top with a layer of eggplant slices, then a layer of pepper or tomato slices. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. Top with the grated cheese and the other slice of bread. Brush the outside of both the bottom and the top pieces of bread with olive oil. Grill 5 minutes, or until nicely toasted and the cheese has melted. Remove from the panini grill and cut into halves or thirds, depending on the size of the bread. Serve hot.
ULTIMATE PANINI
The aroma of onions cooking at country fairs and street vendor carts makes me crave caramelized onions. I wanted to pair them with something special, and this sandwich is just that. -Charlene Brogan, Falmouth, Maine
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Lunch
Time 45m
Yield 4 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- In a large skillet, saute onions in oil until softened. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until deep golden brown., Layer the cheese, ham, tomato, pickles and caramelized onions on four bread slices; top with remaining bread. Spread outsides of sandwiches with butter., Cook on a panini maker or indoor grill for 3-4 minutes or until bread is browned and cheese is melted.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 405 calories, Fat 22g fat (8g saturated fat), Cholesterol 55mg cholesterol, Sodium 1188mg sodium, Carbohydrate 34g carbohydrate (7g sugars, Fiber 3g fiber), Protein 20g protein.
GRILLED VEGETABLE PANINI WITH BASIL PESTO
This recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis. This is a tasty way to work veggies into your diet. It's pretty easy to make, loaded with flavor, and also filling!
Provided by Juenessa
Categories Lunch/Snacks
Time 40m
Yield 12 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- For Panini:.
- 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.).
- For Basil Pesto:.
- 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.)
- Yields 1 cup and takes about 10 minutes to prepare.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 434.5, Fat 20.5, SaturatedFat 5.3, Cholesterol 18.6, Sodium 827, Carbohydrate 49.6, Fiber 7.2, Sugar 3.7, Protein 14.9
ROASTED EGGPLANT WITH BASIL
This dish goes well with grilled chicken or fish, or toss with pasta.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Healthy Recipes Gluten-Free Recipes
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Heat oven to 475 degrees. Cut eggplants into 1-inch cubes. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss eggplant with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until browned and tender, about 25 minutes. Toss with red-wine vinegar and basil leaves.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 188 g, Fat 14 g, Fiber 9 g, Protein 3 g
EGGPLANT AND MOZZARELLA PANINI
This is originally from Taste of Home and called for sun-dried tomato spread. I have made a few adjustments for those who can't find the spread at the local grocer. This makes a very filling and vegetarian version of a panini.
Provided by pamela t.
Categories Lunch/Snacks
Time 15m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Heat a grill pan or panini press.
- Brush eggpant slices with 1 t olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Grill until marked and just soft, about 4-6 minutes. If using the grill pan, turn once.
- Cut bread into 4 pieces; slice pieces in half lengthwise.
- Drain and dice sun-dried tomatoes. In small bowl, mix mayonaise with tomatoes.
- Cover one side of ciabatta with mayo mixture.
- Divide grilled eggplant slices between the four sandwiches.
- Add cheese on tops and add other slice of bread on top.
- Brush sandwiches with olive oil and grill until cheese is melting and bread is crisp, about 5 minutes.
- Serve with marinara sauce or picante sauce.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 281.4, Fat 20.5, SaturatedFat 7.2, Cholesterol 38.7, Sodium 445.8, Carbohydrate 15.4, Fiber 4.7, Sugar 4.4, Protein 11.5
Tips:
- To choose the best eggplant for grilling, look for one that is firm and has smooth, shiny skin. Avoid eggplants that are bruised or have blemishes.
- Before grilling the eggplant, brush it with olive oil to help prevent it from sticking to the grill grates.
- Grill the eggplant over medium heat until it is tender and slightly charred. This will take about 5-7 minutes per side.
- Once the eggplant is grilled, let it cool slightly before slicing it. This will help prevent the eggplant from falling apart.
- For the basil aioli, use fresh basil leaves for the best flavor. If you don't have fresh basil, you can use dried basil, but the flavor will be less intense.
- To make the panini, spread the basil aioli on one side of each slice of bread. Then, top the bread with the grilled eggplant, mozzarella cheese, and tomatoes. Close the panini and grill it until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown.
- Serve the panini hot with your favorite sides, such as a green salad or roasted potatoes.
Conclusion:
Grilled eggplant panini with basil aioli is a delicious and easy-to-make sandwich that is perfect for a quick lunch or dinner. The grilled eggplant is tender and smoky, and the basil aioli adds a creamy and flavorful touch. This sandwich is sure to please everyone at your table.
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