What is the green thing that is sometimes spread over panini's bread crust? Is it pesto?

Dae
  • Posted by: Dae
  • November 15, 2015
  • 10733 views
  • 9 Comments
Question image

9 Comments

Kristen W. November 17, 2015
Oops, I see it was written as "paninis" further down in the thread - never mind...;)
 
Kristen W. November 17, 2015
I know this isn't a grammar hotline, but I read the "'s" in Dae's post is possessive, not an attempt to pluralize panini (though it's true that in American cafe menu parlance the word "panini" is typically used as though it's singular).
 
cookbookchick November 16, 2015
And panini in Italy are not automatically pressed as they are in the U.S. You have to ask for that.
 
ChefJune November 16, 2015
I'm sure it depends upon the sandwich it's adorning. And even so, it might not be basil pesto.
 
702551 November 16, 2015
It could be pesto, herb butter or another spreadable green-colored item.

Panini isn't a specific dish or recipe. It is the Italian word for "sandwich" (actually it's the plural) so it really depends on who made the panino in question.

Like a sandwich there is no requirement for any specific ingredient be included in panini, apart from the bread itself and one other ingredient.
 
ChefJune November 16, 2015
And panini (no "s" ont he end, it's already plural) are not necessarily made on a pita-type bread. In fact, in Italy they're not.
 
702551 November 16, 2015
To explain a bit more, "panino" is the diminutive form of "pane." The latter word is Italian for "bread."

It does not refer to a specific dish or preparation, just a huge category of dishes, just like "sandwich." One cannot assume what any given panino has as ingredients. It does not refer to a specific type of bread.

If you want to know what's in any given panino, ask the person who made it.
 
stacy November 16, 2015
Do you mean on the outside of this bread facing to the right? That might be something green in the bread itself, or maybe a pesto or herb-y butter used before grilling
 
Meaghan F. November 15, 2015
Are you talking about on the inside of the sandwich? If so, it certainly could be pesto... It's great added to all sorts of paninis and sandwiches.
 
Recommended by Food52