An easy Italian salad
Given my established pizza predilection it might be hard to believe there are times even I feel like something a little lighter and that’s when I make a sumptuous Italian salad. Involving lots of delicious Italian flavours and ingredients, this salad is perfect as a light meal for lunch, served as an entrée or for dinner with a slice of crusty bread drizzled with olive oil. If you’re making having a simple magherita pizza or slice of focaccia, it makes an excellent side dish. Much like an antipasto served as one dish, this Italian salad is great for those with gluten allergies or looking for carbohydrate light meals that are still healthy and filling.
Don’t worry if you don’t have all the ingredients listed below, this Italian salad works brilliantly with any number of things such as tomatoes, radicchio or asparagus. Just experiment and enjoy!
Prosciutto and endive salad. Image by arnold | inuyaki , Flickr.
Prosciutto and endive salad recipe
Ingredients
- Prosciutto
- Belgian endive – also known as witlof (wash outside, squeeze and break off leaves)
- Rocket (washed)
- Fennel (shaved or finely sliced)
- Red capsicum (medium slices)
- Pine nuts
- Olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper
Method
Take sliced capsicum, lie in a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Pop under medium grill for around 5-10 minutes, occasionally turning, until it is cooked and soft. Mix together 1/3 vinegar and 2/3 olive oil with salt and pepper in a cup for the dressing. Plate up your Italian salad by loosely stacking the ingredients, alternating them to create a vibrant looking dish. Pour over dressing slowly – making sure you do not drown the salad. Serve with toasted ciabatta if you’re feeling extra hungry or want to make an open sandwich with your Italian salad.
