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Summer barbecues are the best, but sometimes it’s hard to know what to make to please all your invitees. For meat-eaters, burgers are the norm on the grill. But vegetarian recipes for a summer barbecue can be a bit tricky. Thankfully, Giada De Laurentiis’ fresh Italian recipes always provide great summer food ideas, and her Grilled Veggie Pesto Panini is no exception. Not only is it full of in-season summer ingredients, it’s a crowd-pleasing 4th of July recipe that’s safe to serve to your guests, unlike freezer-burnt veggie burgers.
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De Laurentiis, Giada’s Italy: My recipe for the sweet lifeis an expert at cooking summer vegetables, and in this recipe, she sticks to fresh, simple seasonings: Season eggplant, zucchini, and onion with salt and pepper, then grill (you can use a grill pan or a gas or charcoal grill) until tender and charred.
But being a vegetarian and only being served a platter of grilled veggies at a barbecue is the worst, so De Laurentiis uses in-season veggies to create a fresh and satisfying panini. He layers the grilled veggies on a baguette and garnishes it with fresh tomatoes, slices of fresh mozzarella, and jarred roasted red peppers. We love keeping jarred roasted peppers on hand in the summer because not only are they great on sandwiches, but they also add flavor to pasta salads, charcuterie boards, burgers, and everything in between.
Before adding your filling, spread your baguette generously with homemade basil pesto, which has a fresher taste than the mayonnaise often used on summer sandwiches. With flavors of cheese, herbs and garlic, our homemade basil pesto is a bold accompaniment to the sweet, earthy flavors of grilled vegetables and creamy fresh mozzarella. Want something a little spicier? You can also spread your sandwich with Calabrian chili paste, one of De Laurentiis’s signature ingredients.
Tutto Calabria Crushed Calabrian Chili Paste
If you’re looking for a vegetarian Fourth of July recipe, have a craving for a summer sandwich, or want to add more seasonal ingredients to your diet, Giada De Laurentiis’ Grilled Veggie Pesto Panini is the dish for you.
Looking for more summer recipes? Giada De Laurentiis has lots:
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