Arugula Salad with Pancetta and Pepitas
After fine-tuning my Champagne Vinaigrette recipe,* I was enamored with this seamless dressing, but I soon faced the challenge of finding a salad that paired nicely with this light vinaigrette. My first choice was to select the greens, so I chose arugula, betting that the sharp, peppery kick of this lettuce would hold strong amid my mild vinaigrette. Then, among the myriad of vast ingredients, I was faced with the choice of what toppings to serve as accents? Shooting for a crunchy element, I racked my brain and settled on toasted pepitas. Next, repeating this textural hardness, but with a splash of sweetness, I chose an underripe Comice pear. Now, wanting a meat to add some substance to this dish, I searched for diced pancetta and found a match at Trader Joe’s. Finally, I thought, why not top off this salad with some thick shavings from a block of fresh Parmesan cheese? This combination has grown to be one of my favorite pairings, a perfect marriage for my Champagne Vinaigrette recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 cups packed baby arugula
- ½ hard Comice pear or any pear
- 2 T. toasted and roasted pepitas
- 3 T. diced pancetta, found at Trader Joe’s.
- 2 T. thick shavings of fresh Parmesan
- 1 ½ T. My Champagne Vinaigrette*
- *Notes: see recipe under Salad for my Champagne Vinaigrette.
Directions
- Step 1 First, take out my Champagne Vinaigrette mix from the refrigerator if you’ve previously made it. Let it coalesce for 15 minutes before making the rest of your salad. If you haven’t made my vinaigrette yet, and plan on doing so, now would be a great time to do so.
- Step 2 Next, dice the pear and add it to a medium mixing bowl. Then, warm the pepitas if you’d like and add them to the same mixing bowl. After this, measure out the pancetta and toss it into the mixing bowl with the pear and pepitas. Mix all these ingredients.
- Step 3 Now, dole out the arugula and add it to the salad bowl that you’ll be serving it in. Then, sprinkle the dressing over the lettuce and mix until all the leaves are well coated. Next, toss the pear, pepitas, and pancetta into the serving bowl with the arugula. Mix slightly but scoop up the toppings if they fall to the bottom of the bowl. Finally, top with some thick shavings of Parmesan cheese. Serve and enjoy!
This savory salad pairs a peppery arugula with crunchy pepitas, hearty pancetta, sweet Comice pear, and salty Parmesan cheese. Then, my mild Champagne Vinaigrette unifies all flavors in the background while allowing each element to sing its own individual ring. Taste the harmony for yourself!
NOTES ON THIS RECIPE:
Here is a tip for picking pears: if the bottom of a pear is hard and firm, along with the sides, then select this one. Store your pears in the refrigerator to prevent overripening. Now, about the salad: I like to dress the salad before adding the toppings, so I can mix the leaves thoroughly without danger of the toppings falling to the bottom. I also like to mix the toppings in a bowl beforehand, so it minimizes the amount of mixing that you’ll have to do when assembling the salad.