Italian cooking is anything but static, and these tomato sandwiches (or tomatoey cheese melts) are a new, quick, frightfully easy development that's perfect when it's hot out. As a light antipasto you'll want one panino, and as a quick alternative first course you will likely want two. To serve 4 people antipasti you'll want:
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 large, firm, sun-ripened garden tomatoes
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 12 fresh basil leaves, 8 shredded, and 4 whole
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 2 mozzarella balls (about a half pound, or 200 g, drained), cut into 8 slices
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Crush the garlic, mix it with the oil and the shredded basil, season the mixture to taste with salt and pepper, and let it rest 10 minutes. While doing this, turn on your broiler.
Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise, drain them, and put them in an oven-proof pan, skin-side up. Run the tomatoes under the broiler for a minute or two, flip them, and broil the other sides as well. Arrange the slices of mozzarella on half the tomato halves, cover them with the other halves, and run the tomatoes under the broiler for a few seconds more, until the mozzarella begins to soften.
Arrange the tomatoes on plates, drizzle the pan drippings and a few more drops of oil over them, garnish with the whole basil leaves, and serve at once.
The wine? A light, crisp white, for example a Galestro.
Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise, drain them, and put them in an oven-proof pan, skin-side up. Run the tomatoes under the broiler for a minute or two, flip them, and broil the other sides as well. Arrange the slices of mozzarella on half the tomato halves, cover them with the other halves, and run the tomatoes under the broiler for a few seconds more, until the mozzarella begins to soften.
Arrange the tomatoes on plates, drizzle the pan drippings and a few more drops of oil over them, garnish with the whole basil leaves, and serve at once.
The wine? A light, crisp white, for example a Galestro.
