Here’s one of my favorite salad recipes: Caesar Salad with Pancetta and Roasted Tomatoes
This is a classic caesar salad that has been jazzed up by the addition of roasted cherry tomatoes and crispy pancetta.
It’s the perfect salad for entertaining. People always love to see something a little different in their salad!
Caesar Salad with Pancetta and Roasted Tomatoes
The roasted tomatoes really add a wonderful flavor to the salad.
Ingredients
SALAD
- ¾ pound pancetta, sliced ½ inch thick
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes
- olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 large heads Romaine lettuce
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
DRESSING
- 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 8 medium anchovy fillets (optional)
- ½ cup (about 3 lemons) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ cups extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Cut the pancetta into ½ inch cubes and cook it in a skillet over medium low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until browned and crisp. Remove to paper towels and drain.
- Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet and coat with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until soft.
- Wash the lettuce leaves carefully and spin dry in a salad spinner. Stack the leaves on a cutting board and cut them crosswise into 1½ inch slices. Place them in a large mixing bowl.
- Dressing: Place the egg yolk, mustard, garlic, anchovies (if using), lemon juice, salt and pepper into the bowl of a food processor filled with a steel blade. Process until smooth. With the food processor running, slowly pour the olive oil through the feed tube and process until thick. Add ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese and pulse a couple of times.
- Toss the lettuce with enough dressing to moisten well. Add 1 cup grated Parmesan and toss. Divide the lettuce among 6 to 8 plates and sprinkle with pancetta and roasted tomatoes.
Notes
- If you're wishing to prepare this recipe as GLUTEN FREE, just make sure that the pancetta and Dijon mustard you are using are free of gluten.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 647kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 19g, Fat: 58g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Monounsaturated Fat: 32g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 73mg, Sodium: 1464mg, Potassium: 1044mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 19172IU, Vitamin C: 48mg, Calcium: 285mg, Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.