There’s probably nothing more classically Italian than cured meats, cheeses, and olives (AKA antipasto). If you’re like me, on a Friday night with a glass of red wine, antipasto is just about the epitome of food heaven. Any night of the week, when in doubt, “I antipasto.”
But what if you could throw all of the classic antipasto components into a beautifully tossed salad, with crisp romaine and a lemony vinaigrette?
Today, it’s possible. I’ve combined the perfect blend of cured meats, aged sharp cheese, sweet roasted peppers and tomatoes, buttery marcona almonds (among other things!) into a big bowl with dressing that’s frankly good enough to drink alone.
Makes: dinner for 4 people
Prep time: 35 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour and 5 minutes
The Ingredients
1 package romaine lettuce, chopped
1 small package soppressata (or any type of salami), thinly sliced
1 small package calabrese (or any type of salami), thinly sliced
1 medium wedge Parmigiano-Reggiano (or any hard Italian cheese), cut into bite-sized chunks
1 English cucumber, cut into ½ inch rounds
1 small package cherry tomatoes, halved (or large fresh tomatoes cut into chunks)
1 small package shishito peppers, stems cut off
1 small Spanish onion, cut into paper thin slivers
½ cup salted marcona almonds
½ jar pitted green olives, sliced in half
1 large handful basil, chiffonaded
1 heaping tablespoon grainy Dijon mustard
½ tablespoon natural honey
1 large garlic clove, minced
½ lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
Salt and pepper
The Steps
For roasted tomatoes and peppers: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a baking sheet, place peppers on one side and tomatoes cut-side up on the other side. Sprinkle with salt and oregano, and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in oven for 20 minutes for tomatoes and 30 minutes for peppers, until tomatoes just begin to wrinkle and peppers begin to have golden brown spots. Remove from oven and set aside.
For the dressing: whisk together mustard, honey, garlic, lemon, vinegar, and olive oil to taste. Add salt and pepper to taste as well. The dressing should be tangy and acidic but not overwhelming.
For assembly: Add lettuce to a large bowl. Add both salamis, cheese chunks, almonds, olives, onion, basil, and cucumber. Toss gently, being careful to not smoosh the tomatoes, with dressing. Plate. Garnish each plate with roasted peppers and tomatoes.
Serve with warm ciabatta bread and olive oil.
The Steps with Pictures
For roasted tomatoes and peppers: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a baking sheet, place peppers on one side and tomatoes cut-side up on the other side. Sprinkle with salt and oregano, and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in oven for 20 minutes for tomatoes and 30 minutes for peppers, until tomatoes just begin to wrinkle and peppers begin to have golden brown spots. Remove from oven and set aside.
For the dressing: whisk together mustard, honey, garlic, lemon, vinegar, and olive oil to taste. Add salt and pepper to taste as well. The dressing should be tangy and acidic but not overwhelming.
For assembly: Add lettuce to a large bowl. Add both salamis, cheese chunks, almonds, olives, onion, basil, and cucumber.
Toss gently, being careful to not smoosh the tomatoes, with dressing. Plate. Garnish each plate with roasted peppers and tomatoes.
Serve with warm ciabatta bread and olive oil.
