A Healthy Mediterranean Inspired Sorrentino Panini made with Grilled Eggplant, Zucchini, Chicken, Prosciutto, a Splash of Balsamic Vinegar and Creamy Burrata cheese.
Summer grilling just got better with our light, fresh, and fabulous grilled sorrentino panini. In August, the markets are brimming with fresh, local produce perfect for the grill. This Mediterranean-inspired sandwich features grilled chicken, eggplant, zucchini, juicy tomato, prosciutto, and creamy burrata cheese. The vegetables are seasoned with a blend of Italian dressing and a splash of balsamic vinegar, adding depth and complexity to this simple, healthy summer meal.
Even as summer fades, this panini can be a delicious addition to your soup and sandwich nights.
What is Sorrentino?
At restaurants, a sorrentino dish includes a layering of fried eggplant, chicken and prosciutto. Tomato sauce or sometimes a Marsala sauce is added over the top along with a topping of cheese. The dish is usually served with pasta.
Our version reduces the calorie count by grilling the eggplant and chicken and eliminating the pasta by transforming the dish into an easy-to-eat panini.
What are the origins of Sorrentino?
This dish shares a similar lineage to many Italian restaurant classics developed by Italian American immigrants. Upon arriving in America, many immigrants cooked with ingredients from their homeland combined with protein that was much more plentiful in America. Their creations included Sorrentino, chicken parmigiana and spaghetti and meatballs. Spaghetti and meatballs was founded in Naples, but its popularity exploded in America with the advent of Italian-American cuisine.
Is the Grilled Sorrentino Panini Healthy?
Sorrentino, a classic Italian restaurant dish, typically features breaded and fried chicken cutlet and eggplant. The health profile of the dish can be quite misleading. Why? The breading and eggplant are very efficient in soaking up oil during frying, dramatically increasing the fat and calorie content of this dish, which is otherwise made with lean protein and vegetables. While many believe frying enhances the chicken’s flavor and moisture, we’re here to prove that you can achieve a juicy, delicious cutlet without deep-frying.
Forget the deep fryer! Our grilled Sorrentino is a healthier, tastier take on this classic Italian American dish. Check out the nutritional breakdown of each version below. By grilling the eggplant and chicken our version has 30% less fat and substantially less calories. The benefits are actually even greater because these numbers don’t include the side of pasta you will eat when ordering this dish in the restaurant.
By marinating and then grilling the chicken and eggplant, we’ve created a light and refreshing summer meal that blends classic Italian flavors with the grill for a dish that can be enjoyed all year. Eggplant is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and grilling brings out its natural sweetness without adding extra fat. Chicken is a terrific choice for low fat protein. This dish is perfect for enjoying on a hot day at home or wrapped tightly in foil and packed up for a picnic or beach day. During the cooler months, this panini makes a great addition to you soup and sandwich nights.
What are the Ingredients for the Grilled Sorrentino Panini?
The base of the sandwich is comprised of grilled vegetables, chicken and cheese. The beauty of the sandwich is that it can be easily modified to what you have available. Our recipe includes grilled eggplant and chicken that were marinated in Italian dressing, fresh tomato, balsamic vinegar and burrata cheese. The eggplant can be substituted with zucchini if that is what you have home. This all sits on a thin roll, naan or flatbread that easily can be placed into a panini press.
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Don’t care for eggplant. Abundant summer squash is a terrific substitute. No burrata? Mozzerella will work as well. For the bread, we love using naan bread for paninis and naan works extremely well for this sandwich. Another great option is using ciabatta rolls, but we suggest removing excess dough from the inside before making the sandwich.
How to make our Grilled Sorrentino Panini
This light and healthy sandwich is easy to make and full of summery goodness. The trick to making it is twofold. First, use fresh produce from your garden, local farmers market or local grocer that sells locally grown vegetables. Second, grill your vegetables and chicken to lower the fat and calorie content of the dish.
For the bread, we love using naan for our paninis. Their texture and simplicity to use on the grill or panini press are astounding. Don’t have naan? Pita or a ciabatta roll with the excess dough removed will work fine.
The Veggies: To prepare, we recommend slicing your eggplant or zucchini with a mandolin. We set our mandolin on its fourth thickness level. You don’t want the vegetables too thin as they will burn easily, but too thick and they won’t cook well. Using a mandolin ensures an even cut, thereby avoiding uneven cooking of the eggplant. Once sliced, we marinate them in Italian dressing for 30 minutes.
The chicken should be sliced and pounded into a cutlet, then marinated with Italian dressing for a few hours. Homemade dressing is best but we often use Wishbone Italian Robusto. The marinade is important to improve the flavor profile and moisture of the cutlet.
Grilling: Once the eggplant (or zucchini) and chicken have been marinated, it is time to fire up the grill. The vegetables should be cooked on a medium flame. You want to cook them until they are soft, but not mushy. If you get that texture with griddle marks and no burning, you cooked them perfectly.
The chicken should cook on a hot flame. They will cook quickly and the flame should be hot enough to get notable grill marks on both sides. Do not overcook or the chicken will get dry quickly.
Assembling the panini: To assemble, be sure to have all the ingredients handy. Start by placing 3-4 slices of your grilled vegetables onto you bread. Then place the grilled chicken, and a slice of tomato (optional). Drizzle with balsamic vinegar then prosciutto, mozzarella, fresh basil and top with bread. If you are using burrata, skip the mozzerella as the burrata will be added at the end. Do not overstuff as it will be difficult to eat without making a mess.
Cooking the panini: This step can be performed on a grill or with a panini press. If using a press, carefully place the sandwich into a greased press and close with even pressure to compress. When the press indicator glows, the panini is done.
If using a grill, heat grill to low-medium heat. Until you learn your grill, start at low. You don’t want to burn the surface of the bread. Place on grill and compress with a grill press. Close grill cover and wait 3-4 minutes. If the bread browns before this time your grill is too hot. Place spatula under the bread and with your other hand, hold the top. Carefully flip without having sandwich fall apart. This takes a little bit of skill. Press the top with grill press or spatula to compress.
When the second side is done, remove from heat. If you are using burrata, carefully remove the top piece of bread and place the burrata in the sandwich. Top with arugula. Using a sharp knife, make a cut into the cheese allowing it to ooze ove the panini. Cover with bread and enjoy!
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Grilled Sorrentino Panini
2
servings15
minutes20
minutesA lite and healthy pannini stuffed with grilled eggplant, chicken, prosciutto, Italian cheese, balsamic dressing, and basil.
Ingredients
4 naan bread
1 eggplant (Japanese preferable) or zucchini sliced on mandolin
1 chicken breast, sliced thin
4 Slices prosciutto
2 Slices mozzarella or 2 balls of burrata cheese
pickled banana peppers peppers(optional)
2 Slices tomato, thin (optional)
1/2 Cup arugula
1/3 Cup Italian dressing
Drizzle Balsamic vinegar
Directions
- Slice the chicken into cutlets and marinate in Italian dressing minimally for 30 minutes.
- While chicken marinates, slice the eggplant or zucchini with a mandolin. Don’t slice too thin or they will burn. About 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick should work. Layer in a plate and marinate in Italian dressing.
- Preheat bbq to medium high and grill chicken. Be careful not to overcook.
- On a low to medium temperature grill, cook the vegetables. You should see grill marks before you flip. If you see them burning, the grill is too hot. Eggplant should display grill marks on both sides and be chewy for a perfect cook.
- Assemble the panini. Have all ingredients nearby. On a piece of naan, pita or roll with excess dough removed, place a layer of eggplant or zucchini. Next add chicken, two slices of prosciutto, tomatoes and banana peppers. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Then add mozzerella if using. If using burrata wait until the sandwich is completed. Cover with bread of choice.
- On a grill heated to low-medium, place the panini. You can also use a panini press instead. If using a press, place sandwich in and wait until it indicates it is done and bread develops a crust. If using a grill, close the cover and let it heat for a few minutes. The bottom panini should develop grill marks but not become brittle. If it burns, the flame is too hot. To flip, slide spatula under, hold top with other hand and carefully flip. Press top of panini evenly with spatula to compress the sandwich. Follow the same process on this side. When done remove from heat. If using burrata, open top of bread, place burrata and slice the cheese to allow it to ooze. Close and enjoy.
Notes
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