This vibrant salad features dandelion greens tossed with crispy pancetta, sweet dates, toasted almonds, and creamy ricotta salata, all drizzled with a tangy sherry vinegar dressing for a delightful flavor combination.
INGREDIENTS
Serves 4 people
Ingredient | Quantity | Notes |
Dandelion Greens | 1 bunch | cleaned, tough stems cut off |
Pancetta | 3 oz | or unsmoked Bacon, medium chopped |
Dates | 10 | pitted, rough chopped |
Red Onion | 1/2 | medium, thinly sliced |
Almonds | 1/4 cup | toasted |
Sherry Vinegar | 2 tbsp | |
Olive Oil | 1 1/2 tbsp | extra virgin |
Salt | 1/2 tsp | |
Pepper | a few grinds | |
Ricotta Salata | chunk for shaving |
PREPARATION
Start by cooking the pancetta.
I like to use my heavy bottomed cast iron for this. Warm the pan over medium heat, add a swirl of olive oil and the pancetta. Cook, stirring frequently until nice and golden, 7-10 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Next,
add the onions to the pan and stir. Then add the dates, sherry vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir all to combine.
Place the dandelion greens
and almonds in a large bowl. Add the pancetta/dressing mixture to the bowl and toss well. Taste for salt. At this stage I usually add a few pinches of Maledon sea salt to finish. Transfer to a platter. With a peeler, make large shavings of the ricotta salata over the salad. Serve up!