Recipe 33 from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman
Another yummy sandwich to check off my list before this chapter shifts to tarts. I really enjoyed making this guy even though I made a mistake that made me laugh.
My mistake…yeah that’s definitely not broccoli rabe. That’s broccolini. Why I thought they were the same thing I’ll never know. I only started to question it when I was assembling the sandwich and thought it was kind of a bulky ingredient to put on a sandwich. I looked up broccoli rabe then and realized I was kind of right with my hunch. I think the sandwich was still really good despite that mistake. But be warned, this recipe I’m reviewing is my version :) I’ve never even had broccoli rabe so I can’t imagine the taste. Sorry guys.
But here’s the bright side…If you don’t have broccoli rabe at your grocery store, don’t stress! I’m nearly certain they have broccoli or broccolini so just run over and grab some and keep shopping. You’ll end up okay on this one.
While broccolini is a bulky ingredient it does cook down a bit with this recipe and then you’ll be pressing the sandwich as well so it will all be okay in the end.
I used ciabatta rolls for this and it was really great. I got a pack from Trader Joes; the kind you stick in the oven to fake people out thinking you made them from scratch. They were perfect for this sandwich.
So, I don’t have a panini press but Deb accounts for the underprivileged cooks like myself and encourages you to use another heavy pan to put on top. My only issue was that my pan was super rusty on the bottom. So, I folded up some parchment paper and put it over the sandwich so it didn’t mess with the flavor in any way.
The 2nd pan on top worked like a charm so, forgo the debt of a panini press and get creative!
My long grill pan came in handy for this guy and I was able to press 3 sandwiches at a time when I made it for me and my husband for dinner.
We both really enjoyed this one. It’s a healthy alternative to a hardy meat sandwich and it wasn’t overly filling either so it makes a perfect lunch. I made this sandwich for my lunch, then saved the rest of the ingredients to make them for dinner when my husband came home. So, it can be a do ahead recipe if needed where you can assemble and press when you’re ready.
You can find the recipe here or over here too.
Happy panini pressing readers! On to the tarts!
The Novice Life 