Doughnuts and apple cider have their moments, but let’s talk about the real reason fall is so special: the return of paninis filled with melty cheese and roasted goodness, all between two perfectly golden, perfectly crunchy slices of bread.
Disclaimer: I eat paninis year-round and I encourage everyone I know to do so. They’re a part of a balanced diet, after all (science says you need to balance your un-toasted sandwiches, wraps, and ice cream sandwiches with the occasional panini). But there’s something about the change in weather and the impending doom of the winter months that makes panini eating feel like a necessity.
I’m currently in that strange purgatory runners often find themselves in – the time between training seasons. I ran my fall marathon about a week ago, already signed up for my spring race before I even started my fall race, and now I have at least two months to wander around aimlessly with no purpose in life until I start training again. But I have a plan, of course. I’m going to be nice to my body and give cross training a go for a while, including weight lifting! It’ll be great, I’m certain of it. I mean, I’ll still be running at least three days a week, but that’s to avoid going through a painful and emotional withdrawal that tends to affect every aspect of my life in a fairly negative way.
But I love the idea of going into the next training season stronger and more intentional than my last. I don’t know about you, but cross-training and weight lifting are usually the first to go when running takes over my life. Running is sometimes like an emotionally unstable girlfriend. It wants all your time but then it complains that you’re not interesting or well-rounded and frankly, kind of suffocating. Then the relationship (or the cartilage in your knees) quickly falls apart. We need to be our own person outside of running, something that in the bad times we can fall back on when the whole running thing isn’t really working out and can be used to strengthen our relationship with running in the good times.
Weight lifting and cross-training are like the delicious sides that often accompany paninis. They aren’t totally necessary, but they enhance the panini experience tenfold. But despite my tangent, we’re here to talk about the star of the show – paninis!
Specifically, this beautiful red pesto panini. The red can come from the blood of your enemies, or you can use sun-dried tomatoes and roasted red peppers like I did. Blend that together with parmesan, basil, almonds (or pine nuts. I use almonds because I’m not a millionaire), and olive oil and you’ve got yourself some red pesto.
Between the red pesto you’ll want to fill that sandwich up with sautéed mushrooms, roasted zucchini and eggplant, raw spinach, and provolone cheese. And don’t you dare cheap out on the bread! Invest in some high-quality grainy bread that will keep you going long after your heavenly sandwich experience.
Brushing olive oil on the outside of both slices of bread before grilling will give your panini that lovely texture that all grilled sandwiches deserve. The best way to grill your panini is by using a panini maker but if you’re not a panini-addict like me and you don’t have specific panini-making supplies never fear! You can just as easily use a pan/griddle over a low heat like you would with a grilled cheese.
Best of luck to all of you in training season purgatory. Try to relax, cross-train, and eat a panini or two.
Red Pesto Paninis
Ingredients
For the red pesto
- 1/2 roasted red pepper
- 1/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, oil reserved
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup almonds, toasted
For the paninis
- 4 slices thick multigrain bread
- 1/3 eggplant, thinly sliced
- 2 handfuls baby spinach
- 4 oz mushrooms, sliced
- 2 slices provolone cheese
- 1/2 zucchini, sliced
- olive oil
Instructions
For the pesto
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In a food processor, combine the roasted red pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, almonds, parmesan cheese, and basil. Once blended together, add the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes and an extra tablespoon or two of olive oil. Pulse again until the pesto reaches the desired consistency.
For the sandwich
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Place slices of eggplant and zucchini in a single layer on the baking sheet. Brush each slice with olive oil and sprinkle with pepper.
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Bake vegetables for 20 minutes. Once out of the oven, sprinkle with salt.
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Meanwhile, add a drizzle of olive oil to a pan and bring to a medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook until golden. Remove from heat.
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Brush one side of each slice of bread with olive oil and spread pesto on the other side. Pile on half the zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms, and spinach on one slice of bread, the other half on the other. Top each sandwich with a slice of cheese and the top slice of bread.
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Heat panini maker or pan to a medium-high heat and cook the sandwiches until the cheese has melted and all slices of bread are golden.
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Cut each sandwich in half and enjoy!
