Photo of Fresh mozzarella and tomato paninis by WW

Fresh mozzarella and tomato paninis

4
Points®
Total Time
14 min
Prep
10 min
Cook
4 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
Fifteen quick minutes, and you've got a sandwich of big Italian flavors, kind of a beloved caprese salad deliciously tucked between grilled slices of bread. We give these sandwiches extra flavor by rubbing the bread with a cut garlic clove before layering it with the cheese and tomatoes. The Spanish rely on that trick for their amazingly simple yet unbelievably tasty pan con tomate. Swap basil for the arugula if it's too peppery for your taste. Or use a blend of the two. If you don't have a panini press, use a grill pan and weigh down the sandwich with a brick, cast iron skillet, or sandwich weight, and flip it once for those inviting grill marks on each side.

Ingredients

Red wine vinegar

1½ tsp

Olive oil

½ tsp

Dried oregano

¼ tsp

Table salt

tsp

Black pepper

tsp, freshly ground

Italian bread

4 oz, cut into eight 1/2-inch-thick pieces

Whole milk mozzarella cheese

2 oz, fresh, thinly sliced

Arugula

1 cup(s), baby leaves

Plum tomato

1 medium, cut into eight thin slices

Olive oil cooking spray

4 spray(s)

Garlic

1 clove(s), peeled and cut in half

Instructions

  1. Preheat outdoor grill (or grill pan or skillet).
  2. In a small cup, stir together vinegar, oil, oregano, salt and pepper until blended. Brush mixture onto 1 side of each slice of bread.
  3. To make each sandwich, layer 1/4 of cheese over brushed side of bread and then top with 2 tomato slices and 1/4 cup of arugula. Top with another slice of bread, brushed side down and then coat sandwiches with cooking spray. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
  4. Grill, lightly pressing with a spatula from time to time, until bread is toasted and cheese melts, about 1 to 2 minutes per side; rub grilled bread with garlic clove.
  5. Serving size: 1 sandwich

Notes

If you like your paninis more pressed, use a sandwich weight or brick. Or use a panini press if you have one.