Panini with Spanish ham and pesto sauce

Ingredients:

• 8 slices of ciabatta bread
• 4 pequillo peppers or 2 whole red peppers
• 1 large eggplant, sliced
• 340 g thinly sliced ​​Manchego cheese
• 225g sliced ​​ham (see Spanish recipe) ham)
• 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1/3 tbsp. parmesan cheese
• 110 g soft goat cheese
• 1/3 cup pine nuts (or sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds)
• 3 cloves of garlic
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Preparation:

1. Prepare the pesto sauce: Combine the basil, Parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, and salt in a food processor. Slowly pour the olive oil into the processor, whisking constantly. Set aside.
   
   Preheat the grill. Place the peppers on the grate and cook, turning, until the skin is charred. Let cool, peel, seed, and cut into strips.
   
   While the peppers are cooking, brush the eggplant slices with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for about 4 minutes per side.
2. Heat a grill pan over medium heat.
   
   Assemble the sandwiches: Spread the pesto sauce on one slice of bread, top with pepper and eggplant slices, goat cheese, and ham. Top with the other half of the bread.
   
   Place the sandwiches on the griddle and press them down with a foil-wrapped brick or a heavy skillet. Cook until crisp and crispy, and the cheese is melted, 3-4 minutes per side. Cut the sandwiches into 3 pieces each and serve as an appetizer for any meal.