Panini History and a Recipe for a Lasagna Panini

Panini ----- "small bread, bread rolls" ------ a grilled sandwich made from bread other than sliced bread It is Italian in nature.

Breads used to make a panini include baguettes, ciabatta, and michetta. The bread is cut horizontally and filled with ingredients naturally found in the deli such as cheese, ham, salami, and more.

Often served warm after being pressed on a warming grill often referred to as a panini grill.

The first known panini served in the United States was in 1956. However, the first sandwich recipe may have appeared much earlier during the 16th century. The panini during the 1970s and '80s was celebrated in trendy Milanese style bars known as paninoteche. It was in the 1980s that the first Panini fast food restaurants started popping up.

4 slices of bread (I used sourdough, but you can use whatever kind you like)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter with a dash of olive oil (if you have a panini press, you can just use spray butter to save on calories)
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste
2 roma tomatoes, sliced (the original recipe called for one 14-oz container cherry tomatoes, which is what I used for the photos, but I think slices would work better. You can use whichever you prefer)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
extra salt and pepper for seasoning

In a medium skillet or nonstick pan, melt butter over medium-low heat. (I used a panini press, so if you have one, just turn it on so it can be warming up)
In a small bowl stir together ricotta, basil, salt and pepper.
Top each slice of bread with a 1/4 of the mozzarella cheese. Top two of the bread slices with tomatoes. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper. On the remaining two slices of bread, dollop and spread the ricotta cheese.
Combine the sandwich halves and place in the warmed skillet (or if you're using the panini press, spray the bread generously with butter spray or olive oil and then put in the press).
Grill on each side until golden. Remove from the pan and allow to rest for 3 minutes before slicing in half and serving.

recipe resource here