Presto Pesto Panini (with Prosciutto, Provolone & Peppers)

March 2024. Spring in Memphis, and I am 65, watching the azaleas and dogwoods bloom along my neighborhood walk, the annual resurrection that makes the winter worth surviving. The smoker wakes up in spring the way the whole city wakes up — slowly, with a stretch, then fully, with purpose.

Rosetta beside me through the week, steady as ever, the woman who runs this household with the precision of a hospital ward and the heart of a mother who has loved fiercely for 40 years of marriage. Walter Jr. came by with the grandchildren, bringing the noise and energy that grandchildren bring, the house expanding to hold them the way a good pot expands to hold a good stew.

Ribs this week — spare ribs, dry-rubbed, five hours at 225, no foil, no rush. The Memphis way. The bark cracked when I bit into it, and the flavor was layered: smoke first, then spice, then the sweetness of the pork, each layer arriving on its own schedule, patient as a sermon. Rosetta ate two ribs and said nothing negative, which is a standing ovation from the toughest critic in my life.

Sunday at Mt. Zion, the choir sang and I sat in my pew and let the music hold me. The bass notes I used to add are quieter now — my voice is aging, the way everything ages — but the listening is its own participation, and the church holds me the way the church has held this community for a hundred years: faithfully, unconditionally, with room for everyone who shows up. I show up. That is enough.

Sunday’s ribs are a five-hour commitment — a ceremony, really — and I wouldn’t trade that ritual for anything. But come Monday, with the grandchildren’s noise still ringing in the walls and Rosetta back to running her precise household, I want something that honors good pork without asking the smoker to stretch its legs again. This panini does exactly that: prosciutto carries the salt and depth, provolone melts in the way a good church hymn resolves, and the whole thing comes together before you’ve had time to miss the weekend.

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 8 minutes | Total Time: 13 minutes | Servings: 2

Ingredients

4 slices ciabatta or sturdy Italian bread (about 1/2 inch thick)
3 tablespoons prepared basil pesto
4 thin slices prosciutto
4 slices provolone cheese
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, drained and patted dry
1 tablespoon olive oil or softened butter, for the grill
Fresh black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Heat the pan. Place a cast-iron skillet, grill pan, or panini press over medium heat and let it come fully up to temperature — about 2 minutes. A hot surface is what gives you the crisp, golden crust.
Build the sandwich. Spread a generous layer of pesto on one side of each bread slice. On two of the slices, layer 2 slices of prosciutto, 2 slices of provolone, and an even layer of roasted red peppers. Season lightly with black pepper, then press the remaining bread slices on top, pesto-side down.
Oil the surface. Brush the outside faces of each assembled sandwich lightly with olive oil or spread with softened butter. This is what browns — don’t skip it.
Grill the panini. Place sandwiches in the pan. If using a skillet, set a heavy pot or foil-wrapped brick on top to press them down. Cook 3–4 minutes per side until the bread is deep golden and the cheese has fully melted. If using a panini press, close the lid and cook 4–5 minutes total.
Rest and slice. Let the panini rest for 1 minute before cutting diagonally. The cheese will set just enough to hold its shape and not flood the plate.

Nutrition (per serving)

Presto Pesto Panini (with Prosciutto, Provolone & Peppers) — A Weekday Shortcut From a Man Who Knows His Way Around Smoke