Little Gem Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Nancy Silverton shares her simple recipe for a summery Little Gem salad with Pecorino Romano and thin slices of yellow summer squash, plush a lovely, lemony Champagne vinegar dressing. The flavors are punchy, but the lettuce — more tender and delicate than romaine — is the star.
Ingredients
- 1 cup walnut halves
- 1 tablespoon walnut oil
- Kosher salt
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Champagne vinegar
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground pepper
- 4 ounces yellow squash, thinly sliced
- 3 thin red onion slices, separated into rings
- 4 heads Little Gem lettuce
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving
Instructions
- 1Preheat the oven to 350°F. Toast the walnuts on a pie plate until golden, 12 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop the nuts. Transfer to a bowl and toss with the walnut oil and a pinch of salt. In a small bowl, combine the shallot, lemon juice, and vinegar and season with salt. Let stand for 10 minutes. Slowly whisk in the olive oil and season with pepper.
- 2In a large bowl, toss the squash with the onion, lettuce, walnuts, pecorino, and half of the dressing and serve. Reserve the remaining dressing for another use.