Grilled Eggplant Sandwich with Pesto

Ingredients

Pesto sauce

1/2 cup

Fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup, for garnish

Tomato

1 large, sliced

Fresh mozzarella cheese

8 ounces, sliced

Ciabatta bread

2 large rolls

Salt

to taste

Black pepper

to taste

Balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons

Olive oil

2 tablespoons

Eggplant

1 large, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds

Instructions

1. Preheat your grill or grill pan over medium heat.
2. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Brush the eggplant slices with this mixture, ensuring they are well coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Grill the eggplant slices for about 3-4 minutes per side, until they are tender and have beautiful grill marks.
4. Once grilled, remove the eggplant from the grill and set aside to cool slightly.
5. While the eggplant cools, toast the ciabatta bread slices on the grill for about 1-2 minutes per side, until they are lightly crispy and golden.
6. Spread 1/4 cup of pesto sauce on one side of each ciabatta slice.
7. Layer the grilled eggplant, fresh mozzarella slices, tomato slices, and fresh basil leaves on top of the pesto sauce on one slice of bread.
8. Top the sandwich with the remaining slice of ciabatta, pesto side down.
9. Return the assembled sandwiches to the grill and cook for about 2 minutes per side, or until the cheese is melted and the bread is nicely toasted.
10. Remove from the grill and allow to cool for a few minutes before slicing the sandwiches in half.
11. Serve warm, garnished with extra basil leaves if desired.