Panini with fried vegetables

Ingredients:

Panini

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 large eggplant, cut into 1 cm thick circles.
• 2 zucchinis, sliced ​​into 1cm thick rounds.
• 1 small red onion, cut into 1cm thick slices.
• 2 baguettes (each 60 cm long)
• 0.5 cup pesto, see recipe below
• 220 g fresh mozzarella, patted dry and sliced
• 2 tomatoes, sliced ​​into circles
• 0.5 cups baked sweet peppers
• 8 large basil leaves, optional

Pesto

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup (approximately) extra-virgin olive oil
• 0.5 tbsp. grated parmesan

Preparation:

1. Panini:
   
   Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle the eggplant, zucchini, and red onion slices with olive oil, then season with salt and black pepper. Grill the eggplant, zucchini, and onion slices a few at a time until tender and charred, about 4 minutes per side. Cool completely.
2. Cut each baguette into 6 pieces. Working with one piece at a time, cut it in half and spread pesto on both sides. On the bottom half of the baguette, top with 2 slices of eggplant, 2 slices of zucchini, 1 slice of onion, 1 slice of tomato, 1 slice of mozzarella, and 1 slice of roasted bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with the top half of the baguette and repeat with the remaining bread and vegetables.
3. The sandwiches can be made up to 4 hours in advance. Wrap each one in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
   
   Pesto:
   
   In a blender, combine the basil, pine nuts, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and puree. With the blender running, gradually add enough olive oil to form a smooth paste. Transfer the pesto to a medium bowl and add 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. The pesto can be made up to 2 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate.