Best 7 Grilled Turkey Asparagus Pesto Paninis Recipes

WHOLE-WHEAT PENNE WITH TURKEY AND ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Put the turkey cutlets in a glass bowl and add the garlic-flavored olive oil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Toss to coat, and let stand for 10 minutes.
• Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, over medium heat, and add a generous amount of salt.
• Remove the turkey from the marinade, shaking off any excess liquid and transfer to a plate. Drizzle with oil to keep it from sticking and season well with salt and pepper. Grill the cutlets, turning once, until the turkey is cooked through, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and chop into bite-sized pieces.
• Boil the pasta according to the package instructions. Add the asparagus in the last 2 minutes of cooking time. Carefully remove about 1/2 cup of the cooking water and reserve. Drain the pasta in a colander, add some garlic oil to the bottom of the pot and return the pasta to the pot, off the heat. Add the turkey and any juices released to the cooked pasta and toss to combine.
• Season the pasta with salt and pepper, to taste and drizzle with additional olive oil and vinegar, if desired. Add the pasta cooking water, a tablespoon at a time and toss until the pasta is evenly moistened. Transfer to a serving platter or bowl and serve warm, room temperature, or cold right out of the refrigerator.

THE BEST GRILLED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Prepare a grill for medium heat. Chop the tough, woody ends off the asparagus (about 1 inch) and peel another inch of the stalks.
• Whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in a large bowl. Add the asparagus and toss until well coated.
• Put the asparagus on the grill at an angle so the stalks don't fall through the grates. Grill, flipping halfway through cooking, until the asparagus begin to char, the pointy ends start to crisp and the stalks are just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove to a platter and sprinkle with the feta and mint.

ASPARAGUS PESTO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Add the asparagus and cook until fully tender but not mushy, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well, reserving some of the cooking liquid, and let the asparagus cool slightly.
• Transfer the asparagus to a food processor and add the garlic, pine nuts, 2 tablespoons of the oil, Parmesan, a pinch of salt and a couple of tablespoons of the cooking liquid. Process the mixture, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container if necessary, and gradually add the remaining oil and a bit more of the reserved cooking liquid to moisten if necessary. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste, pulse one last time, and serve over pasta, fish or chicken (or cover and refrigerate for up to a day).

TURKEY PESTO PANINI

Steps:

• Preheat panini press or other sandwich maker--I use a George Foreman grill.
• Spread 4 slices of bread with pesto on one side and the other 4 slices of bread with mayonnaise.
• Divide the turkey, tomato slices, onion slices, and cheese equally among mayonnaise-dressed bread slices.
• Top with remaining bread slices, pesto side down; brush tops with butter.
• Brush the bottom of the panini press with butter.
• Add 2 sandwiches, close lid, and cook about 5 minutes or until lightly browned and cheese is melted.
• Repeat to make the other two sandwiches.
• Cut each sandwich in half and serve.

GRILLED VEGETABLE PANINI

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

ASPARAGUS PESTO

Steps:

• Cut the cooked asparagus spears into thirds. Put in a food processor with the basil, pine nuts, garlic, and salt and pepper, to taste. Keep in mind you will add Parmesan as well, so be careful not to oversalt. With the machine running, slowly add the cup of olive oil. When the sauce is about the consistency of mayonnaise, it has enough oil. Pulse in the Parmesan. Thin with water, if necessary, to achieve a slick, saucy pesto. Scrape into a bowl or jar, cover, and refrigerate until needed. You should have about 3 cups. (Keeps about 2 to 3 days, refrigerated.)
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GRILLED HAM AND ASPARAGUS PANINI

Steps:

• In a small bowl mix garlic salt and butter together. Brush one side of each of the pieces of bread. In another bowl mix mayo and pesto sauce.
• Spread mayo/pesto on other side of each slice of bread. Top 1/2 of slices of bread with ham, asparagus spears, red pepper and Asiago.
• Top with remaining bread slices and cook in a panini grill or in a large skillet with a little extra butter (like you would a grill cheese, pressing down with a heavy pan on top.).
• Cook until bread is toasted and sandwich is heated through.
• Serve with fresh fruits.