Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites (8 page)

Use a sweet, ripe (but not overripe) pear such as Bosc or Anjou; if it’s not ripe enough, the flavor won’t marry with the cheese. Taleggio is a mild, creamy Italian cheese; if you can’t find it, Brie is a perfectly fine substitute.

4 servings

Preheat a panini press
(see Note)
. Cut the ciabatta loaf into 4 equal pieces. Halve each piece horizontally to make 4 sandwiches. Brush the bread on both sides with olive oil and place the bottom half of the bread slices in the panini press in a single layer. Close the panini press and heat the bread until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Repeat with the remaining top slices of bread.

While the top slices of the bread are grilling, begin forming the sandwiches. Divide the cheese among the warm bread. Cover the cheese with slices of fruit. Drizzle the fruit with honey and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with a handful of arugula. Place the warmed top half of the bread over the arugula and return the completed sandwich to the panini press for 1 to 2 minutes more to melt the cheese. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve immediately.

Note:
If you do not have a panini press, you can make the sandwiches in a ridged grill pan. Preheat the grill pan, add the sandwich, then place a weight (a foil-wrapped brick, a smaller skillet with a couple of cans in it) on top. Turn once halfway through.

A hearty yet sophisticated sandwich with enough meat in it to satisfy big appetites. Don’t use your stale, leftover croissants for this; you want the butter to melt and crisp up the dough, making it even flakier and completely delicious.

4 servings

Heat a panini press. Slice one croissant in half horizontally and place both halves on a work surface, cut side up. Divide ⅓ cup of the smoked Gouda between the top and bottom halves of each croissant, then sprinkle each half with 1 teaspoon of the Parmesan. Top each side with about 3 slices of Genoa salami (about 1 ounce of salami per sandwich, total). Top one half of the sandwich with a small handful of arugula. Close the sandwich and repeat to make 3 more sandwiches. Grill the panini until the cheese melts, 3 to 4 minutes.

Cut each sandwich into thirds. Place the remaining arugula on a serving platter. Place the warm sandwich slices on the arugula. Serve hot.

I could eat this sandwich every day for the rest of my life and never get tired of it. The heat of the panini press melts the chocolate and Brie together, and the salty-sweet-gooey goodness that results is my idea of heaven. Sometimes I make these for a cocktail party, cutting each sandwich into four small squares, and it’s always a conversation starter.

6 servings

Preheat the panini press.

Brush both sides of the bread with olive oil. Place in the press, close, and grill the bread slices until they begin to turn golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the panini press and place 2 slices of cheese on one slice of bread, top with ⅓ cup chocolate chips, and sprinkle with basil. Top with another slice of bread. Continue with the remaining sandwiches. Return the sandwiches to the panini press until the chocolate begins to melt, about another 2 minutes.

Cut the sandwiches into 2-inch-wide rectangles or small triangles and transfer to a serving platter.

In Italy the term
panini
refers to any sandwich, whether warm or cold, pressed or not. What makes this different from your average tuna salad sandwich is the garbanzo bean spread; it lends a creamy, earthy flavor that’s a thousand times better than any mayonnaise-y sauce and keeps the tuna from tasting dry.

8 servings

For the garbanzo bean spread,
combine all the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

To make the panini,
combine the black olives, olive oil, salt, pepper, tuna, and artichokes in a bowl and toss gently to mix.

Lay out the sliced baguettes. Spread both halves of the baguettes with the garbanzo bean spread. Spoon the tuna mixture onto the bottom half of each sandwich and top with the arugula. Close up the sandwiches. Wrap one end of each sandwich in parchment paper to make it easier to eat, if you like.

In this frittata, pasta plays a supporting rather than starring role, giving the eggs a little body. It makes a very pretty, satisfying lunch served with a simple side salad.

4 to 6 servings

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 1½-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the orzo and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, ricotta, and crème fraîche and stir until the eggs are beaten and the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Add the cooked orzo, chicken, scallions, parsley, red bell peppers, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.

Pour the mixture into the baking dish and bake for 25 minutes. Turn the oven to broil. Place the baking dish under the broiler until golden brown on top, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let set for 5 minutes before serving. The frittata will settle a bit as it cools.