Napoleon Grilled Vegetable Panini with Pesto Vinaigrette
Imagine, grilled vegetables without the fuss. Enjoy delicious Napoleon grilled eggplant, artichokes and zucchini right from your pantry. Layer on crusty bread with rich cheeses and pesto vinaigrette to create gourmet sandwich shop flavor at home! Makes 1 serving.
Pesto Sauce:
| 1 Tbsp | Napoleon Organic Olive Oil |
| 1 Tbsp | Napoleon Organic Balsamic Vinegar |
| 2 tsp | Napoleon Pesto Paste |
| ¼ tsp | kosher salt |
| to taste | freshly ground black pepper |
In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, pesto paste, ¼ teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Whisk well to combine and reserve.
Panini:
| 1 small | Focaccia round, approximately 6 inches in diameter |
| Pesto sauce (above) | |
| 4 Tbsp. | Napoleon White Balsamic Vinegar |
| 2 slices | Napoleon Grilled Eggplant |
| 4 slices | Napoleon Grilled Zucchini |
| 4 | Napoleon Grilled Artichokes |
| 2 | Napoleon Piquillo Peppers |
| to taste | Kosher salt |
| ½ ounce | grated smoked fresh mozzarella cheese |
| 1 ounce | grated fontina cheese |
Preheat broiler.
Using a large serrated knife, split the focaccia in half to make a top and bottom. Place bread in the broiler, cut side up. Toast until nicely browned. Remove from broiler and turn oven to 350°F.
While bread is toasting, make the pesto vinaigrette.
Remove the eggplant, zucchini, artichokes and piquillo peppers from their marinade and drain on paper towels, blotting the tops with additional toweling. Slice the artichokes and the piquillo peppers into ¼ inch slices. Sprinkle the vegetables with kosher salt.
Brush the bottom slice of the toasted focaccia with a generous amount of the pesto vinaigrette. Layer the vegetables on top of the dressed bread in the following order: eggplant, zucchini, artichokes and finally, the piquillo peppers. Top the vegetables with the grated smoked mozzarella and fontina cheeses. Brush the top of the bread with the pesto vinaigrette and place on top of the cheeses.
Place the sandwich on a baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake until the bread is crispy and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.
Serve immediately.
Approximate Nutritional Analysis per Serving:
Calories 680
Total Fat 35.6g
Saturated Fat 10.5g
Cholesterol 46mg
Sodium 1547mg
Dietary Fiber 6.3g
Protein 20.7g
© 2008 The Napoleon Co.