A crunchy Italian panini stuffed with green pesto and fresh tomato slices makes for a satisfying and effortless lunch.
Make it in the panini press or over the stovetop, I show you how.
TL;DR
We have been enjoying a lot more Panini sandwiches for lunch since we traveled to northern Italy a while back.
I guess, these Italians revamped our lunch habits for the better and I think you should benefit from that.
Today's Panini is stuffed with a layer of pesto and sliced tomatoes. It's a simple vegetarian toasted/grilled sandwich to prepare for lunch.
Make it either in the panini press or over the stovetop with two pans. We didn't have a panini press in our rental, so I show you how to make a panini over the stovetop.
Ingredient Notes
- Panini Bread — small ciabatta breads are best suited. French bread such as small baguettes is an alternative.
- Pesto — homemade or store-bought, traditional basil pesto or a variation thereof. I like bright-green cashew basil pesto.
- Tomato
- Cheese Slices
- Salt
Process Overview
Step 1
Slice tomato and slice panini breads in half lengthwise.
Step 2
Spread pesto over the bottom half of each panini bread.
Place cheese slices, tomato slices over that and season with salt. Close with the top panini bread half.
Step 3
Toast the panini in the panini press or over the stovetop with the help of two pans.
If you do the stovetop method, keep a pan on the heat with the panini in it and gently press down with another second pan or flat clean cooking utensil. Turn the panini and repeat.
Serve hot.
📖 Recipe
5 Ingredient Tomato Pesto Panini
Ingredients
- 1 Tomato
- 4 Panini Bread small Italian ciabatta breads
- 4 Tablespoon Pesto
- 4 Slices Cheese
- Pinch Salt
Instructions
- Cut your tomato into slices. Slice the breads in half lengthwise to create top and bottom halves, leaving you with two pieces of each, ready to fill.1 Tomato, 4 Panini Bread
- Spread 1 Tablespoon of pesto over each bottom half.4 Tablespoon Pesto
- Break or cut your cheese slice into two and place the cheese rectangulars over the pesto.4 Slices Cheese
- Place two to three tomato slices over the cheese and sprinkle some salt over the tomatoes. Close the panini with the top half.1 Tomato, Pinch Salt
- Place the panini into a panini press and press down. OR keep a pan with the panini on the heated stove top and press down with another pan or any other flat and clean cooking object, and then turn the panini to toast on the other side as well.
- Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce and side salad.
Equipment
- Panini Press or Two Skillets
Nutrition
Serving
Panini are tasty lunch bites, and you can prep them in advance to take to work or school.
But I always love them the most when they are freshly prepped and pressed. The toasty, crispy outside and soft cheesy filling make me give in every time.
For the best experience, I recommend toasting them and serving the panini straightaway with a dipping sauce of your choice.
Ketchup, Mayonnaise or mixed sauces are great with these panini, such as Mayochup or Mayocue.
We serve them with a vinaigrette-based small simple salad. My favorite combo usually involves shredded vegetable salads such as shredded carrot salad, kohlrabi salad, or turnip salad.
Storing
If you have leftovers, or you are prepping your pesto panini to take to work, keep them in rectangular glass containers.
These glass containers can be placed into the microwave to reheat if needed, and they stack well in the fridge, keeping your refrigerator clean and tidy.
The panini are good for 3–4 days cooled in your refrigerator.
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