Mary Ann's Blog
The All-Italian Panino
August 22, 2024
Panini are trending here in America right now. But in Italy, they have long been staple bar and street food.
Panini means little sandwiches from the word pane for bread. You could call them “good fast food.”
Unlike the American sub or hero sandwich that starts with a spongy long roll and is filled with multiple slices of cured meats, cheeses, sauces, pickles and other condiments—the panino is understated, simple, and more refined. It has fewer yet high-quality ingredients; is made with good, closed crumb bread; and comes without a slathering of mayonnaise, mustard, salad dressing, or a dip.
At a Panini shop or at an Autogrill on the autostrada, various kinds of panini are laid out in glass cases for you to choose what you want; once ordered it is slid into a panini press and handed to you warm. Some popular choices include the caprese, with mozzarella, tomato and basil or the prosciutto with radicchio and gorgonzola cheese, or vegetable versions such as marinated eggplant or zucchini.
My favorite is always the mortadella, a cooked pork sausage studded with black peppercorns and small fat cubes and sliced paper thin. The best thing about the panino is that you can taste every ingredient; nothing is masked by over seasoning or too many spices. And you wont need three napkins to keep the ingredients in the bread or in your lap.
Get my recipe for my favorite Mortadella Panino here.
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