Eggplant Prosciutto Caprese Panini

5 from 1 vote

Eggplant Prosciutto Caprese Panini

This delicious sandwich features eggplant, fresh tomatoes and mozzarella and prosciutto in a crispy ciabatta bread panini.

Prep Time35

Cook Time8

Total Time43

Course: Sandwich

Cuisine: American

Keyword: eggplant caprese, eggplant in panini, eggplant mozzarella panini, eggplant mozzarella sandwich, eggplant panini

Servings: people

Calories: 373kcal

Author: NicholeL

Equipment

panini press, griddler or grill

Ingredients

1 medium eggplant peeled
1 large tomato sliced
4 oz fresh mozzarella sliced
8 oz prosciutto fat trimmed
2 tablespoon balsamic glaze
4 rolls ciabatta
2 tablespoon fresh basil
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Slice the eggplant into ¼ inch rounds. Place a paper towel on a baking sheet. Place the sliced eggplant in a single row and sprinkle salt on the eggplant.
Let the eggplant sweat for 30 minutes, then rinse and pat dry. Season again with salt and pepper. Spritz or lightly brush with olive oil.
While the eggplant is sweating, heat a panini press, Griddler or grill over medium high heat. If you have grill plate options, use the raised grill side, not the flat top side.
Place the eggplant slices at a diagonal on the grill and cook for 4 minutes on each side or until softened and grill marks are visible. Remove from the grill.
Slice open the ciabatta roll and drizzle balsamic glaze on both sides of the roll. Layer the sandwich with two slices of the grilled eggplant, a slice of fresh mozzarella and tomato, some basil leaves and two slices of prosciutto. Close the sandwich and spritz or lightly brush with olive oil. Repeat with remaining sandwiches.
Place the sandwiches on the grill and close to press down. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until lightly golden and the cheese has melted.
Remove the sandwiches from the grill and slice on the diagonal. Serve immediately.

Notes

Substitutions: skip the bread and use the grilled eggplant as the bread instead. Replace mozzarella with burrata cheese. Replace balsamic with pesto or roasted red pepper sauce. Prosciutto can be omitted or replaced with ham or Italian meats like sopressata or capicola. Add arugula for a peppery flavor.

Nutrition