We love panini at our home and try to make them for lunch every few weeks. My guy loves them loaded with meats like cold cuts or grilled chicken (here’s his blackened chicken version), and I think the vegetarian versions, like this Pesto and Roasted Zucchini Panini, are also fantastic.

We served this Pesto and Roasted Zucchini Panini with a side of roasted cauliflower tossed in a mixture of red wine vinegar/Parmesan and garlic and it was delish.

If you don’t have a panini press (it’s a great investment), you could use a grill pan and weight the panini down with another pan to ensure you get a great crisp bread exterior.

Ingredients:

• 2 Ciabatta rolls
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 medium zucchini, cut crosswise into ½-inch rounds
• ⅓ cup basil pesto, homemade or store-bought
• 1 ounce roasted red peppers, chopped
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Halve the rolls long ways/horizontally and rub the olive oil over the exterior.
2. In a medium nonstick pan over medium-high heat, heat the vegetable oil. Add the zucchini rounds in an even layer and season with salt and pepper. Cook 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until lightly browned. Turn off the heat.
3. Spread the pesto on the inside of the rolls. Top the bottom pieces of the rolls with the zucchini rounds, roasted pepper, Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses. Season with salt and pepper. Place the roll tops over the toppings.
4. Heat a panini press or, alternatively, heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a grill pan over medium-high heat.
5. Add the panini to the press and grill 5 minutes. If using the grill pan, make sure to use a second pan over the panini to press them down for a crisp exterior, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the panini to a cutting board and carefully halve on an angle.

Makes two sandwiches.