Mozzarella, roasted pepper and basil pesto panino

Name: Mozzarella, roasted pepper and basil pesto panino
Prep time: 16 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 240 g Ciabatta (2 small 120 g loaves) (2 small ciabattas, 120 g each, or one large 250 g ciabatta cut in half); 125 g Fresh fior di latte mozzarella (125 g ball in liquid) (1 × 125 g ball, drained); 40 g Kashkaval cheese (250 g piece) (coarsely grated; melts without releasing water, adding salt and stretch); 140 g Jarred roasted red peppers (drained weight, about half the jar); 30 g Fresh basil (1 × 50 g bunch: 25 g leaves for the pesto, 5 g for the peppers); 10 g Pine nuts (1 tbsp, raw); 15 g Parmesan or Grana Padano (250 g piece) (kosher Grana, finely grated (1½ tbsp)); 2 g Garlic (1/2 small clove, central shoot removed); 1 g Coarse salt (2 pinches: one for the pesto, one for the peppers); 31 g Extra virgin olive oil (22 g for the pesto (2 tbsp), 3 g for the peppers, 6 g for the bread); 0.5 g Ground black pepper (2 turns of the mill, over the peppers)

dairy light lunch · Italian · 2/5 · easy · 25 min, including 16 hands-on

Crisp pressed ciabatta, stretchy fior di latte mozzarella and kashkaval, roasted peppers dressed with oil and basil, and a Ligurian-style pesto chopped by hand, without a blender.

Ingredients for two

240 g	Ciabatta (2 small 120 g loaves) 2 small ciabattas, 120 g each, or one large 250 g ciabatta cut in half
125 g	Fresh fior di latte mozzarella (125 g ball in liquid) 1 × 125 g ball, drained
40 g	Kashkaval cheese (250 g piece) coarsely grated; melts without releasing water, adding salt and stretch
140 g	Jarred roasted red peppers drained weight, about half the jar
30 g	Fresh basil 1 × 50 g bunch: 25 g leaves for the pesto, 5 g for the peppers
10 g	Pine nuts 1 tbsp, raw
15 g	Parmesan or Grana Padano (250 g piece) kosher Grana, finely grated (1½ tbsp)
2 g	Garlic 1/2 small clove, central shoot removed
1 g	Coarse salt 2 pinches: one for the pesto, one for the peppers
31 g	Extra virgin olive oil 22 g for the pesto (2 tbsp), 3 g for the peppers, 6 g for the bread
0.5 g	Ground black pepper 2 turns of the mill, over the peppers

Method

Switch on the panini press, to 180°C if it has a thermostat, to heat while you prepare the ingredients; without a press, get out two 26–28 cm frying pans. Drain the mozzarella, cut into 5 mm slices and spread on a double layer of kitchen paper with another sheet on top. Leave it to release its whey throughout the remaining preparation, 10–12 minutes, otherwise the bread will become soggy and the cheese boil rather than stretch. Coarsely grate the kashkaval.
Pat the peppers dry, cut into wide strips and toss in a bowl with 3 g oil, a pinch of coarse salt, the pepper and 5 g torn basil leaves. Leave to absorb the flavours while making the pesto: this removes the flat briny taste and makes them a proper antipasto.
On the board, chop the garlic with the other pinch of coarse salt and the pine nuts to a coarse paste, about 2 minutes. Add the 25 g basil leaves and chop very finely over the paste, repeatedly gathering everything beneath the blade, for 3–4 minutes: the salt acts as an abrasive and preserves the green colour. Transfer to a bowl with the Parmesan and 22 g oil and mix with a fork to a soft, spreadable paste. Do not blend: the basil stays green and fragrant.
Slice each ciabatta horizontally with a bread knife without completely separating the halves, and open like a book. Remove a little crumb from the middle of both cut sides, scavare la mollica, a small handful per loaf, kept for breadcrumbs, to make space for the filling and keep the crust crisp. Pat the mozzarella dry once more. Spread pesto over both inside surfaces, add half the mozzarella and kashkaval, then the peppers drained of their oil, then the remaining cheeses: as they melt, they seal the filling on both sides. Close, pressing down, and brush the outsides with the remaining 6 g oil.
Put the sandwiches in the hot press and close without crushing. Cook for 5–7 minutes, until the bread is golden with grill marks and cheese flows from the edges. Without a press, use a 26–28 cm frying pan over a medium-low heat for 4–5 minutes per side, pressing with the second pan, its base clean, weighted with a saucepan of water; turn carefully with a wide spatula. Pan cooking takes 3–4 minutes longer than the press and needs your attention. Rest for 1 minute, cut diagonally in half and serve immediately.

Variants and their steps remain below the recipe.

Lighter version

How the taste changes:

Sans kashkaval, le fromage est moins corsé et moins salé : la douceur lactée de la mozzarella et le pesto dominent. Le pain grillé sans huile en surface donne une croûte plus sèche, moins dorée et grasse au toucher.

Kashkaval cheese (250 g piece) : removed
Extra virgin olive oil : 25 g

In step 4, assemble using mozzarella alone, half below the peppers and half above, and do not brush the bread with oil: ciabatta browns dry in the press.

Less cheese, the same pesto: the peppers and basil carry the flavour.

On your plate

Recipe

766 kcal · protein 29 g · carbs 72 g · fat 39 g

Quantities per person

120 g Ciabatta (2 small 120 g loaves)
62.5 g Fresh fior di latte mozzarella (125 g ball in liquid)
20 g Kashkaval cheese (250 g piece)
70 g Jarred roasted red peppers
15 g Fresh basil
5 g Pine nuts
7.5 g Parmesan or Grana Padano (250 g piece)
1 g Garlic
0.5 g Coarse salt
15.5 g Extra virgin olive oil
0.25 g Ground black pepper

Cooking tips

If making the pesto in the morning, cover with a thin layer of oil in a small sealed container and refrigerate. Salt the peppers and drain the mozzarella the day before, keeping them in separate containers; assemble and press when ready to eat. If there is no appliance at the office, assemble the sandwich in the morning and eat it cold that day: it is still better than a microwaved panino. The remaining kashkaval keeps for 3 weeks and is good for breakfast toast.

Equipment : panini press, or 2 frying pans, 26–28 cm, and a saucepan for weighting, chopping board, chef’s knife, bread knife, fine and coarse graters, wide spatula if not using a press, pastry brush, 2 bowls, kitchen paper

An Italian pressed panino with mozzarella and basil pesto made by hand.

Mozzarella, roasted pepper and basil pesto panino

Method

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On your plate

Recipe

Cooking tips

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