Spinach Salad with Warm Pancetta Vinaigrette

Name: Spinach Salad with Warm Pancetta Vinaigrette
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: France
Ingredients: 8 cups stemmed spinach (smallest leaves preferred), carefully washed and dried; 1½ cups sliced white or brown mushrooms (⅛ inch thick); 2 hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped; freshly ground black pepper; 1 cup thinly sliced green onions (green and white parts); ¾ cup mild olive oil; 4 ounces pancetta, sliced ¼ inch thick and then cut crosswise into ¼-inch strips; freshly ground pepper; 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; 2 tablespoons red or sherry wine vinegar

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Back to Square One

By Joyce Goldstein

Published 1992

About

This simple and pretty salad is a variation of the classic warm French salad of bitter greens with bacon. Try to use very young spinach–the leaves will be tender and will look better on the plate. Be sure to wash the spinach well so that it’s grit free; the only crunch you want is the pancetta in the warm vinaigrette.

Ingredients

Pancetta Vinaigrette

4 ounces pancetta, sliced ¼ inch thick and then cut crosswise into ¼-inch strips
¾

Europe
France
Mediterranean
Gluten-free

Method

Procedure

For the pancetta vinaigrette, cook the pancetta in a small sauté pan or skillet over medium heat until the fat is rendered and the pancetta is slightly crisp. Do not drain. (There won’t be much fat in the pan.) Whisk in the remaining ingredients.

To serve, rewarm the vinaigrette over low heat, if necessary. Then toss the mushrooms with half the warm vinaigrette in a