Fabulicious!: Teresa's Italian Family Cookbook (15 page)
Read Fabulicious!: Teresa's Italian Family Cookbook Online
Authors: Teresa Giudice
Makes 1 sandwich
Genoa is the place that perfected pesto—the delicious basis of this vegetarian sandwich.
2 slices Rosa’s Rustic Italian Loaf or Fabulicious Focaccia (
pages 74
and
76
), or use store-bought
1 ½ tablespoons Audriana’s Creamy Pesto (
page 24
)
½ roasted red pepper, preferably Papà’s Roasted Peppers (
page 26
), cut to fit the bread
3 slices ripe heirloom or beefsteak tomato
2 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
A few thin slices of onion
1.
Place 1 slice of bread on the work surface, and spread with the pesto. Layer the red pepper, tomato slices, mozzarella, and onion on top. Cover with the remaining slice of bread. Cut in half and serve.
***
Slapping the Salami
***
Y
ou probably know Genoa for its salami, but did you know salami is actually a type of sausage? Fermented sausage. I won’t tell you how it’s made, but it’s extra delicious because the pigs feed on wild Italian acorns and hazelnuts.
When in Jersey . . .
Sandwich = SANG-wich
Makes 1 sandwich
This is a great way to introduce new flavors and foods—like roasted red peppers—to a picky eater because everything is packaged in a giant “grilled cheese” sandwich. Red bell peppers are sweet and a little fruity, but have the same texture as hotter peppers; they are great for little teeth, and for teaching kids not to be afraid of the pepper family.
P.S.: Technically just one sandwich is called a
panino,
but you can of course multiply this recipe for however many panini-crazed people you’re cooking for.
2 slices Rosa’s Rustic Italian Loaf or Fabulicious Focaccia (
pages 74
and
76
), or use store-bought
1½ tablespoons Audriana’s Pesto (
page 24
) or store-bought olive pesto (tapenade) or sun-dried tomato pesto
2 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
1 precooked chicken tender (about 3 ounces), cut on the diagonal into 3 or 4 pieces
½ roasted red pepper, preferably Papà’s Roasted Peppers (
page 26
), cut to fit the bread
A few arugula leaves or fresh spinach leaves
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
1.
Heat an electric panini grill according to the manufacturer’s instructions. (For a stovetop method, see
page 92
.)
2.
Spread the pesto on one side of each bread slice. Top one slice with half of the mozzarella, then the chicken, red pepper, and arugula. Place the remaining mozzarella atop the arugula. Cover with the remaining bread slice, pesto-side down. Lightly brush both sides of the sandwich with olive oil.
3.
Place the sandwich in the grill and close the lid. Cook until the sandwich is golden brown and the cheese melts, about 5 minutes. Cut in half and serve.
***
Teresa’s Tip
***
A
nother reason it’s great to have lots of Papà’s Roasted Peppers and Audriana’s Pesto on hand in your fridge: you can use them to whip up a delicious sandwich in minutes! Every time I make either recipe, I double it just so I have extra for later.
Makes 1 sandwich
I was inspired to make this panini by the easiest appetizer ever: roasted asparagus stalks individually wrapped in prosciutto. While the two taste phenomenal together, picky eaters sometimes pass on the healthy green veggie stalks out of habit. I decided to slice them thin and hide—I mean put—them in a sandwich.
8 asparagus spears, roasted (see Roasted Asparagus alla Parmigiana,
page 130
)
2 slices Rosa’s Rustic Italian Loaf or Fabulicious Focaccia (
pages 74
and
76
), or use store-bought
2 ounces mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
1.
Heat an electric panini grill according to the manufacturer’s instructions. (For a stovetop method, see
page 92
.)
2.
Slice the asparagus crosswise to fit the bread. Place one slice of bread on a work surface. Top with half of the mozzarella, then the asparagus. Season the asparagus with ground black pepper (you won’t need salt because of the salty prosciutto). Top the asparagus with the prosciutto slices and finish with the remaining mozzarella. Cover with the remaining bread slice. Lightly brush both sides of the sandwich with olive oil.
3.
Place the sandwich in the grill and close the lid. Cook until the sandwich is golden brown and the cheese melts, about 5 minutes. Cut in half and serve.
When in Rome . . .
Prosciutto = pro-SHOE-toh
***
Faking It
***
D
on’t have the budget or kitchen space for an electric panini grill? You can get the same results with a much cheaper cast iron meat or grill press (a heavy square of iron with a handle usually sold with BBQ grill accessories). To use it, preheat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Place the sandwich in the skillet, then put the grill press on top of the sandwich. Cook over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the underside of the sandwich is crispy and golden brown. Flip the sandwich, replace the grill press, and cook about 3 minutes longer.
A heavy grill pan with ridges also works great as a panini maker—it does double duty to cook both pan-grilled meats and gorgeous panini. And you can even make panini in a skillet or grill pan without a grill press; just improvise with a heavy, heatproof plate to weight the sandwich while heating. If you need extra weight to compact the sandwich, stack more plates or canned goods on top of the plate.