Deli Panini with Melted Eggplant
Filed under: Week-end
preparation time
Cooking time
ingredients
- 150 g sliced pepperoni
- 150 g sliced salami
- 2 medium size eggplant
- 1 clove garlic, pressed
- ½ lemon, for juice
- ½ cup (125 ml) fresh chopped herbs (parsley, basil, rosemary, thyme)
- 8 slices multi-grain panini
- 1/3 cup (85 ml) dried tomato pesto
- ¼ cup (60 ml) mayonnaise
- 8 slices provolone cheese
- Olive oil, for cooking
- Salt and pepper
instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Cut eggplant into rounds about 2 cm thick.
- With the point of a sharp knife, make crisscross cuts on one side only of each round and oil the non-cut side.
- Place rounds on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, oiled-side down. Pour 1/3 cup (85 ml) olive oil in a bowl, add garlic, lemon juice and herbs, add salt and pepper and mix well.
- Brush eggplant rounds with the flavoured oil, working it thoroughly into the cuts.
- Bake about 20 minutes or until eggplant is virtually melted. Remove and set aside.
- Spread 4 slices of bread with dried tomato pesto and arrange salami and pepperoni slices on top.
- Cover with melted eggplant slices, then finish with provolone.
- Close the sandwiches, spread outsides of bread with mayonnaise and grill in a panini press. Cut in 2 and serve piping hot.
