aka “The Pizza Salad”
Why the nickname? I’m not sure where it started – when I think about it I think lovingly of Cecconi’s – but my girlfriends and I have this thing where we love eating cold salad on top of hot pizza. The salad is best when it’s made with arugula – because the peppery nature of the greens cuts the richness of the pizza so well. It’s really just a perfect combination. So here’s my recipe for the perfect pizza salad – which obviously, goes perfectly well with WAY more than just pizza.
SHOPPING LIST: 2 cups arugula, shredded parmesan cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, dijon mustard, salt, pepper
Basically all you have to do here is make your dressing. In a small bowl, add the zest and juice of one lemon. Add 1 tB. of dijon mustard, 2 tB. of olive oil and mix together. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top your arugula with 1/3 cup of shredded parmesan, top with your dressing and then mix well AND THAT’S IT.
Obviously, the simplicity to the pizza salad is what makes it so easy and versatile – but that doesn’t mean you can’t make this a base for something WAY more exciting. Have a perfectly ripe avocado? That would be an awesome addiction. Toast some sliced almonds and throw them on top. Fry up some pancetta in a pan and add that into the mix. Think of the pizza salad as your jumping off point – it’s fresh, it’s bright, and baby’s got range.
The Kitchen Koach 