The Chopped Salad

My forever favorite salad, inspired by both my love for the classic La Scala, this is my go-to that never gets old. When I used to live in LA, one of my best friends and I would visit La Scala on weekly basis for lunch. We were the youngest there by about 50-60 years, but it was our happy place and eating this salad brings me back to those wonderful moments in my 20s. If I making this for dinner, I love to pair this with Emily’s English Roasted Potatoes (recipe) and for lunch, a bag of BBQ potato chips is perfection.

RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces fusilli

• 1/2 cup asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces

• 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

• 2 garlic cloves, minced 

• 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

• 4 ounces diced pancetta

• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions:

• Cook pasta according to package directions; add asparagus to pan during the last 3 minutes of cooking. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water. Drain. Sprinkle pasta mixture with garlic; return to pan, and toss well.

• Heat a small pan over medium heat. Add pancetta and cook until crisp. Transfer to a towel-lined plate and set aside. Wipe out the pan and then add the pine nuts. Cook until golden brown. Transfer to a heatproof bowl to stop the cooking. Set aside. 

• Combine lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, salt, and pepper, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over pasta mixture; toss well to coat. If the mixture seems dry, add pasta water 1/4 cup at a time. Top with pine nuts, pancetta, and cheese and toss to combine.