but a somewhat lighter version with an Italian groove. The vinaigrette that has a little kick thanks to garlic and paprika and crumbled Gorgonzola. You can use any kind of blue cheese, really, just as long as it is firm and crumbles well (avoid using creamy kinds of blue cheese). If you are serving to people with big appetites, then serve the lettuce in quarters, but you can also cut the lettuce into six wedges for smaller portions.
Pancetta Crumbles:
4 ounces (â -inch thick) sliced pancetta
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Dressing:
2 tablespoons white or red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, crushed through a press
½ teaspoon sweet paprika
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1¼ cups (5 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola
1 firm head iceberg lettuce, cored, cut into quarters or sixths
1 ripe tomato, seeded and diced
1. To make the pancetta crumbles: In a large skillet, cook the pancetta with the oil over medium heat, turning as needed until crisp and brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. (Donât cook any longer because overcooked pancetta can be tough.) Transfer the pancetta to paper towels to drain. Let cool completely. Coarsely chop the pancetta. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 days.
2. To make the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk the vinegar, garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper together. Gradually whisk in the oil. Whisk in the Gorgonzola.
3. Place a lettuce wedge, curved-side down, on each of four dinner plates. Spoon equal amounts of the dressing over the lettuce wedges, and sprinkle the tomatoes and pancetta on top. Serve immediately.
Â
Macaroni Salad with Pepperoncini
Makes 8 servings
Every family needs a fantastic macaroni salad that will put the stuff in the deli case to shame. My recipe starts with the basics of elbow macaroni and mayo, but it takes a turn with the veggies. The secret is pepperoncini, sweet Tuscan pickled peppers. Just like many American cooks trick out their pasta salads with dill pickle âjuice,â I use some of the pepper brine from the jar as an out-of-this-world seasoning.
1 pound (16 ounces) elbow macaroni
2 large red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, and diced (see page 178 )
1 cup thawed frozen peas
6 to 8 pepperoncini, coarsely chopped
½ cup finely chopped red onion
½ cup pitted and coarsely chopped olives
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons pepperoncini brine from the jar
â cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon sweet paprika, plus more for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the macaroni and cook according to the package directions until tender, about 9 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl.
2. Add the roasted bell pepper, peas, peperoncini, onion, and olives, and mix well. Sprinkle with the vinegar and peperoncini brine, and mix again. Stir in the mayonnaise and paprika. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
3. Just before serving, taste the salad and reseason with vinegar, peperoncini brine, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle paprika on top and serve chilled.
Â
Patata Rossa (Red Potato) Salad
Makes 8 servings
Red-skinned potatoes make great potato salad because you get to skip the peeling step. Just scrub the skins well under cold running water before cooking. White-skinned potatoes or Yukon Golds, with their thin peels, also work well here. In this Italian version of potato salad, we skip the mayo and use extra-virgin olive oil and white wine vinegar instead.
3 pounds medium red-skinned potatoes, well scrubbed but unpeeled
¼ cup white wine vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup finely chopped red onion
4 celery ribs, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh
Pancetta Crumbles:
4 ounces (â -inch thick) sliced pancetta
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Dressing:
2 tablespoons white or red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, crushed through a press
½ teaspoon sweet paprika
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1¼ cups (5 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola
1 firm head iceberg lettuce, cored, cut into quarters or sixths
1 ripe tomato, seeded and diced
1. To make the pancetta crumbles: In a large skillet, cook the pancetta with the oil over medium heat, turning as needed until crisp and brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. (Donât cook any longer because overcooked pancetta can be tough.) Transfer the pancetta to paper towels to drain. Let cool completely. Coarsely chop the pancetta. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 days.
2. To make the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk the vinegar, garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper together. Gradually whisk in the oil. Whisk in the Gorgonzola.
3. Place a lettuce wedge, curved-side down, on each of four dinner plates. Spoon equal amounts of the dressing over the lettuce wedges, and sprinkle the tomatoes and pancetta on top. Serve immediately.
Â
Macaroni Salad with Pepperoncini
Makes 8 servings
Every family needs a fantastic macaroni salad that will put the stuff in the deli case to shame. My recipe starts with the basics of elbow macaroni and mayo, but it takes a turn with the veggies. The secret is pepperoncini, sweet Tuscan pickled peppers. Just like many American cooks trick out their pasta salads with dill pickle âjuice,â I use some of the pepper brine from the jar as an out-of-this-world seasoning.
1 pound (16 ounces) elbow macaroni
2 large red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, and diced (see page 178 )
1 cup thawed frozen peas
6 to 8 pepperoncini, coarsely chopped
½ cup finely chopped red onion
½ cup pitted and coarsely chopped olives
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons pepperoncini brine from the jar
â cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon sweet paprika, plus more for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the macaroni and cook according to the package directions until tender, about 9 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl.
2. Add the roasted bell pepper, peas, peperoncini, onion, and olives, and mix well. Sprinkle with the vinegar and peperoncini brine, and mix again. Stir in the mayonnaise and paprika. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
3. Just before serving, taste the salad and reseason with vinegar, peperoncini brine, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle paprika on top and serve chilled.
Â
Patata Rossa (Red Potato) Salad
Makes 8 servings
Red-skinned potatoes make great potato salad because you get to skip the peeling step. Just scrub the skins well under cold running water before cooking. White-skinned potatoes or Yukon Golds, with their thin peels, also work well here. In this Italian version of potato salad, we skip the mayo and use extra-virgin olive oil and white wine vinegar instead.
3 pounds medium red-skinned potatoes, well scrubbed but unpeeled
¼ cup white wine vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup finely chopped red onion
4 celery ribs, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh
Similar Books
