Giardino Grinder

Vegetarian food never tasted so good! Piled high with eggplant, mushrooms, onion, and zucchini, then topped with mozzarella cheese, this Italian-style grinder is a meaty meatless meal.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 45 mins
• Calories: 672 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• salt
• 2 tablespoons Marsala wine
• 1/4 cup artichoke aioli (see footnote for recipe link)
• 1/4 cup garlic basil spread (see footnote for recipe link)
• 1/4 cup garlic roasted tomato spread (see footnote for recipe link)
• 2 eggplants, peeled and sliced into rings
• 2 zucchini, peeled and sliced
• 3 ciabatta sandwich rolls, sliced horizontally

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).

Step 2

Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook and stir onion until it begins to soften and turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add eggplant and cook until they have absorbed some of the oil, about 1 minute. Stir zucchini into eggplant mixture and cook until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Mix in mushrooms and salt; cook and stir until mushrooms are softened, 3 to 4 minutes.

Step 3

Pour Marsala wine into eggplant mixture and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until wine has reduced slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.

Step 4

Spread each ciabatta roll with 1 tablespoon garlic basil spread, 1 tablespoon garlic roasted tomato sauce, and 1 tablespoon artichoke aioli. Top with 1/4 pound mozzarella cheese. Evenly distribute the eggplant mixture among the 4 sandwiches.

Step 5

Place sandwiches on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted, 3 to 4 minutes.