• Butter the outsides of two pieces of bread. Be generous here! You want the butter to cover every surface of the bread.
• Spread the unbuttered sides of the bread with pesto, then layer it with thick slices of mozzarella and tomato. Season the tomato with salt and pepper. Add a little balsamic drizzle, and sandwich it together.

To make in a panini press:

• Grease the press with oil, close the lid, and preheat. Most presses have an indicator light to let you know it is preheated. If yours doesn’t, wait about 5 minutes for it to preheat.
• Place the sandwich in the press and lower the lid, applying pressure with your hand. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, checking periodically, until the bread is evenly golden and cheese is melted.

To cook on the stove top:

• I recommend using a non-stick grill pan to get the classic panini marks, but you can use a regular pan as well.
• Place the pan on the stove top and heat to medium heat. Add the sandwich. Cook about 3 minutes on the first side. When it’s golden, flip over.
• To mimic the “press” of a panini maker, place a piece of heavy cookware on top of the sandwich while the second side cooks, another 2-3 minutes. A cast iron skillet, large heavy mixing bowl or even a baking sheet and the pressure of your hand works great for this.