Mediterranean Eggplant Panini Recipe

In the United States, a panini is a hot sandwich that's grilled or pressed to create characteristic brown charred lines on the surface of the bread. The word panini means sandwiches in Italian, and yes, it is plural, although we use it in the singular here (the Italian singular is panino, in case you order one in Italy). An Italian panino is any kind of sandwich, which includes those made on rolls, buns, and sliced bread as well as hamburgers and pita sandwiches, whereas in this country it only refers to the hot pressed kind. There's no end to creative panini recipes, which range from those featuring Italian ingredients like mozzarella and prosciutto to American creations like a Thanksgiving turkey panini with chipotle cranberry spread.

Recipe developer Michelle Bottalico has created a recipe for a Mediterranean eggplant panini that features some classic Mediterranean flavors and can easily be made at home. Black olive pâté is spread on a baguette and topped with Brie, which melts wonderfully in the sandwich press and pairs well with the distinctive flavor of the olive spread. Roasted eggplant and roasted red pepper top the cheese, and fresh basil leaves provide a final bright, summery, and aromatic touch. Prep a batch of roasted eggplant and the olive pâté ahead of time, and you'll be able to quickly assemble and heat a mouthwatering sandwich to bring the delicious tastes of the Mediterranean to your meal.

The first step is to roast eggplant slices, and you will need a large eggplant. The maximum weight should be about 1 ½ pounds for the 4 servings this recipe makes. You'll also need olive oil and salt. The next step is to make olive pâté, and the ingredients for this are pitted black olives (regular black olives canned in brine) and extra virgin olive oil. Grab a baguette to make the sandwiches as well as brie, a jar of roasted red peppers, and basil leaves for the remaining filling ingredients. Roasted red peppers packed in water are good for this recipe, not the marinated kind that's packed in oil with possible other ingredients like garlic.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Slice the eggplant into ⅜ inch rounds, cutting any very large pieces in half.

Place the slices on a baking sheet, drizzle them with olive oil, and sprinkle salt on top. Flip the slices over and oil and salt the other side.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until tender and golden, flipping halfway through the cooking time. Set aside.

To make the olive pâté, place the olives and olive oil in a food processor or blender and blend until creamy and uniform. Set aside.

Slice the baguette into 4 pieces about 6 inches long and cut each piece in half lengthwise.

Spread ¼ of the olive pâté on the bottom half of each piece of baguette and evenly divide the brie slices on top.

Arrange the eggplant slices, roasted red peppers, and basil evenly on top of the brie and top each sandwich with the other half of the bread.

Press the sandwich inside an electric sandwich press for 3-5 minutes until the bread is browned and the cheese is slightly melted.

Serve immediately.

You have room to play around with the ingredients in this panini recipe if you wish. The first ingredient that can be substituted is the bread. Baguette provides a sturdy base for the ingredients, but you can choose other kinds of sturdy sliceable bread. Ciabatta is in keeping with the Mediterranean and Italian theme, but any robust artisan bread would work. Stay away from soft sliced bread, which could get too soggy and not hold the ingredients well.

This recipe calls for Brie, which is delicious melted and pairs wonderfully with the olive pâté. Other soft Mediterranean cheeses that melt well for sandwiches are Camembert, Reblochon, goat cheese, and Italian tomino. While firmer cheeses like fontina or Asiago would also be delicious. Tapenade is a Provençal olive spread that's a good alternative to Italian olive pâté. It has a slightly different flavor from the addition of capers and sometimes other ingredients like anchovies, but it's similar enough to use here. If you don't like olives, spread some basil pesto or sun-dried tomato pesto on the bread instead.

This sandwich would be tasty with roasted zucchini or mushrooms along with or instead of the roasted eggplant and peppers. Consider toppings like sliced artichoke hearts or caponata or, if you skip the olive pâté, a drizzle of balsamic glaze. Go easy on wet ingredients or pat them dry so the sandwich doesn't get too messy.

Using an electric sandwich press, which may be called a panini press, a sandwich maker, or an electric grill, is an easy way to heat your sandwich, melt the cheese, and end up with dark charred lines on the bread. There are many unique ways to use a panini press besides making sandwiches so it's a versatile piece of equipment. You can use a George Forman grill too, although you may have issues with uneven heating on taller sandwiches because it lacks a panini press's open hinge, which allows the top half of the press to lay flat against the sandwich.

If you'd rather not store an extra electrical appliance in your kitchen, you can use a cast iron grill press. This is a flat, heavy, rectangular object with a handle. Place the sandwich in a pan and press the grill press down on top of it. If you use a grill pan with it, you'll get charred lines on the bread, as well as that slightly smoky flavor. Finally, there's a simple hack that lets you get a hot, pressed panini if you don't have any of that equipment. Place your sandwich in a pan and press another frying pan or skillet down on top of it. If your second pan is heavy, like a cast iron skillet, you won't have to press down manually.