Favorite Tratorria Panini

Panini are sandwiches in Italy, served cold or hot. Although the term "panini sandwich" is used throughout the United States, the correct term is "panino," or "little bread," with panini being the plural. The name comes from the little bread that is traditionally used for Italian sandwiches, a rustic loaf, usually a ciabiatta.

All over Italy panini are available in bars, trattorias and even on the Autostrade, Italy's superhighway. Panini are available cold or hot, any hour of the day.

Although a panini grill will give you the characteristic grilled marks and quick cooking time, you can also use a heavy, cast-iron pan to cook your panini. Panini should not be overstuffed sandwiches. Concentrate on always using the freshest ingredients and top-quality meats and cheeses with sweet or savory fillings.

Panini Favorites

• Mozzarella, basil pesto and tomatoes
• Pepperoni, provolone and chopped Mediterranean olives
• Grilled portabella mushrooms, goat cheese and sun-dried tomato pesto
• Sun-dried tomatoes, pepperoncini, grilled onions and mozzarella
• Baked ham with gruyere and honey-mustard
• Roast turkey, Swiss cheese and cranberry chutney (an American panino)
• Nutella (Italian hazelnut spread) and sliced banana (a dessert panino)

Panino Margarita
Makes a single panino.

• 2 slices of Mozzarella cheese
• 1 tablespoon basil pesto
• 2 slices of ripe tomatoes
• 2 slices of rustic Italian bread
• Olive oil for brushing on bread and panini grill
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your panini grill. For each sandwich, layer cheese, tomatoes and basil pesto. Brush each side of the sandwich with olive oil. Cook according to your panini grill's suggested time or until bread is well-browned and cheese is thoroughly melted. Serve hot with additional pesto for dipping.

What is Pesto?
Pesto is a cold sauce of fresh basil leaves, garlic, nuts, parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt and pepper. The name pesto comes from the Italian word pestare, which means to pound or crush. Take advantage of the large bunches of fresh basil in the local farmers' markets during the summer and make large quantities of pesto for freezing. Walnuts, pignolia nuts or pistachios can be used in the pesto, or try a combination of these nuts.

Basil Pesto

• 2 to 3 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted
• 2 tablespoons pignolia nuts, toasted
• 1 or 2 cloves garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Wash and dry the basil leaves. Place them in a food processor with the nuts, salt and pepper and garlic. Pulse until finely chopped, then, with the motor running, slowly add the olive oil. Stir in the cheese. Some Italian cooks add softened butter at this time for more flavor. To toast the nuts, place in a dry skillet and heat, stirring often until light brown and aromatic. Let cool before using in pesto.

Freezing Pesto
Many cooks like to freeze pesto in ice cube trays so they can pop out one or two squares and add to soup, like Minestrone Genovese, or sauces. You can also freeze pesto in freezer bags and lay it flat in the freezer for easier storing. Because pesto will usually not freeze completely hard, it's easy to take out a couple of tablespoons at a time. For freezing pesto, don't add the cheese until you're ready to use it and be sure to put a thin layer of olive oil over the top to retain the green color. Not only is basil pesto delicious on panini, it's a quick topping for bruschetta, pasta sauce and grilled fish.