November 14, 2008

Bring Home the Bacon

Pontormo Salad Recipe

You’re hungry. And indecisive. You want a salad. No, some protein. Though a nice fatty treat sure sounds yummers. Hmm, maybe a breakfast do-over?

We asked Tuscan-born New York City chef Cesare Casella to share his recipe for Insalata Pontormo, an addictive warm salad of soft-scrambled egg and pancetta named for the 16th-century Italian painter.

This should tide us over till snack time.

Insalata Pontormo

Ingredients
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. mixed fresh herbs (any combination of rosemary, thyme, basil, savory, chives, oregano, and mint)
3½ oz. Italian pancetta, sliced and cut into strips
6 eggs
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 c. mixed salad greens
3 tbsp. Pontormo Dressing (recipe follows)

1. Place olive oil, herbs, and pancetta in large frying pan and cook over medium heat.

2. When pancetta is transparent (about 5-7 minutes), beat eggs with salt and pepper and scramble everything in the pan. The eggs shouldn’t be too dry. If they are drying, remove from heat and continue stirring.

3. Dress greens with the Pontormo dressing, mix in eggs, and serve immediately. (If you want a bit of crunch, add croutons or serve with crusty bread.)

Pontormo Dressing
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. red wine
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper
¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil

In a small bowl, whisk together vinegars and wine. Whisk in salt and pepper, then olive oil.

Get more True Tuscan recipes from Cesare Casella’s cookbook online at amazon.com.