I tried this during my visit to Rome last year. Since then, I’ve enjoyed numerous varieties of Panini sandwich. However, the Panini with Prosciutto and Bell pepper is my favorite – and here’s my secret recipe.
Ingredients
- 8 slices of a good sourdough bread or 2 (4×6 inch) pieces of focaccia, split
- 2 Tbsp. of olive oil
- 1/2 cup of garlic-herb spreadable cheese
- Four slices provolone cheese (1/2 oz)
- 2 Medium red bell peppers, halved and seeded
- 4oz. thinly sliced prosciutto
- 12 or so fresh basil leaves
- 2 tsp. olive oil (for brushing)
This recipe will serve 4 adults, the prep time involved is around 10 minutes and the total cooking time for all four sandwiches is almost 15 minutes.
Procedure
- Preheat your panini grill to 350F
- Brush or rub the outside of the bell pepper halves with two teaspoons of oil. Place the peppers skin side down on the grill. Grill it, after covering it for ten minutes until skins are charred. Remove the grill peppers, place them in a large zip-lock plastic bag, and then set aside for ten minutes.
- While waiting for the peppers, spread one side of each of the slices of bread with the garlic-herb cheese. Next, top the four pieces with the provolone and two parts of prosciutto. Keep it aside.
- Remove the peppers from the plastic bag and discard/cut the skins. Slice the peppers into 1/4 inch slices and place them on top of prosciutto and cheese. Then top with basil leaves along with leftover slice of bread.
- Brush both sides of the bread with two tablespoons of olive oil. Place both sandwiches on the panini press. Close press and grill for four minutes or until bread is browned and cheese has melted.
Serving
These sandwiches are great served with fresh cut up fruits and vegetables, a salad or just by themselves. The sky is the limit when it comes to making a fabulous panini.
