Roasted Tomato and Onion Panini with Ricotta and Parmesan Cheese

Want a healthy way to incorporate cheesy goodness into your lunch? Well you are in luck, because I have the best recipe that can accomplish this!

Ingredients:

1 container of grape tomatoes (you can use any type of tomato that you want, but I use grape ones to give myself less cutting to do, because I'm lazy ;))

2 tbsps of Olive oil

1 tsp of dried sweet basil

2 tsp of salt

1.5 tsp of black pepper

2 small cloves of garlic, sliced 

1/8 of a red onion cut into small 1/4 inch slices (I took 2 slices cut into 1/4 inches and then took each ring and cut it into three pieces)- I like red onions because they are milder, but any onion can do for this panini.

2 slices of Italian bread

1 container of Parmesan cheese

1 container of whole milk ricotta

Butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Cut grape tomatoes in half. Slice your onion and garlic and add all of these ingredients to a small casserole dish. Drizzle the olive oil and add the salt and pepper to the tomatoes. Take your basil in your hand and pinch in your fingers over the tomatoes to release the oils. Then mix all of these ingredients together. Put in the oven and cook for 40 to 45 minutes, stirring the tomatoes halfway through the cooking process, until the tomatoes are very tender. Then take your bread and spread .5 Tbsps of butter on one side of each slice. On the opposite side of where you buttered, add 1 to 1.5 tsps (depending on the size of the slice) of ricotta. Spoon 3 tbsps of the tomato mixture on the bread and cover the tomatoes with 1 tbsp of parmesan cheese. Finally, top with the other slice of bread, ricotta side down on the tomatoes, and toast the bread until golden brown. You can use a panini press or use a regular pan and cook it like a normal grilled cheese. If you cook it in the pan, just flip it slowly and carefully so it doesn't fall apart. Once it's done, cut the sandwich in half and enjoy!

<3 Katrina