…with a balsamic reduction.

Sorry, couldn’t leave that part out but the title was getting a bit ridiculous. I hate when recipe (granted this is a panini and it feels weird to call it a “recipe”) titles pretty much list out every ingredient in them but if I called this a “grilled zucchini panini” would you want to read on?

Eh, probably not.

Throw the words goat cheese, pesto and balsamic reduction in there though and I go all Pavlov and start salivating upon just reading so I’m hoping you do too and the long title is worth it.

I want to talk about how insanely delicious this combination of tart goat cheese and sun dried tomato basil pesto is with perfect summer squash and tomatoes but really, I just booked flights and hotels to Italy for September and I can’t focus. Can we please just fast forward 9 weeks instead to when my schedule for the next 13 days will look like wine, gelato, pasta, gelato, Italian men, gelato, seeing family who I can’t communicate with and oh, gelato?

I guess this post is kind of appropriate considering it’s pretty “Italian” flavored (and colored!) but as delicious as this sandwich was the other day, I guarantee the basil, tomatoes and zucchini are going to taste 10 thousand times better in Italy.

Cannot.wait.

Have you ever reduced balsamic vinegar? If not, you are seriously missing out.

I have a love affair with the stuff that dates back to childhood dinners and me drinking the salad bowl to finish all of the vinegar at the bottom. I don’t know how it’s possible for vinegar to be sweet and yet so tart at the same time but somehow balsamic accomplishes that.

Reduce it to a thick, syrupy glaze and it just gets better.

Combine it with creamy goat cheese, roasted vegetables and a fresh made pesto, omg I’ve died and gone to Italy this is my idea of heaven.