You are going to love the recipe for my pesto chicken panini because the combination of flavors in this sandwich are quite perfect. If you live in the Los Angeles area, you should be familiar with the little cafe in the Valley called il Tramezzino. They have an amazing Grilled Chicken Sandwich, which is the most popular item on their menu, that's similar to this recipe. I've tried my best to replicate it exactly but haven't been 100% successful. However, this panini tastes pretty damn amazing!
Ingredients:
Chicken
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
salt
black pepper
red pepper
Pesto Aioli
1 bunch basil
2 Cloves garlic
3 egg yolks
1 tblspn lemon juice
1 Cup olive oil
2 tblspns Parmesan cheese
½ tspn salt
½ tspn black pepper
½ tspn red pepper
Sandwich
Avocado slices
Tomato slices
Arugula
Ciabbatta bread
Directions:
Pesto Aioli
In a blender, pulse basil, garlic, lemon juice, & egg yolks.
Add oil slowly through whole while pulsing until mixture is thick.
Add cheese, salt, black pepper, & red pepper, and pulse again.
Refrigerate 1 hour or more before using.
Chicken
Sprinkle salt, black pepper, and red pepper onto chicken.
Heat the grill. Grill chicken until cooked through, about 10 minutes per side.
Remove chicken from heat, transfer to cutting board to rest, and then slice into 1/4 inch pieces.
Sandwich
Cut ciabatta loaf in half and then again horizontally.
Spread about a tablespoon of pesto aioli onto each of the bread halves.
Add a layer of chicken to each bottom slice, then add tomato, and avocados.
Place bread top on and squish down slightly.
Grill in a panini press about 5-10 minutes depending on your press. If you don’t have one, just heat a pan over medium heat, add the sandwich, and weigh down with another pan and a can.
Remove from press open the sandwich and add arugula. Return top bread and enjoy!
If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a photo and hashtag it #EATDRINKPLAYLA. I'd love to see how yours turned out!