Roasted Black Pepper Caesar Salad with Pancetta

This Caesar salad with freshly roasted and cracked black pepper, pancetta, and homemade croutons starts a meal off right.  It can also be a delicious meal on its own!

Happy New Year!! I hope you had a good start to 2016! Did you start it off with a bang? Or are you like us and ushered in the new year more low-keyed?

My husband and I celebrated it at home with a couple of good friends, good food, refreshing libations, and movies. We stayed warm, dry, and well-fed…fun was had by all. 

Our female friend, who shall remain nameless, clearly had a little too much to drink. The dead giveaway was when she spent the latter part of the night calling me by the wrong name. I am sure she has no recollection of doing so. That’s okay, my friend, who I shall not be named, I still love you! 

I am starting the blog off this year with a Caesar salad. My version contains plenty of freshly roasted and cracked peppercorns. Nothing perfumes and envelops your mouth with a punch of flavor like it. The burst of warmth and pepperiness pairs so well with romaine and the Caesar salad dressing. I use a mortar and pestle to crush the peppercorns. Don’t have one of these handy dandy kitchen tools? No worries, a flat-bottom mug or a rolling pin will do the job just fine. Try to keep some pieces coarse as they are the ones that will provide the best punch of flavor.

The pancetta adds a crispy chew and a pop of color to the salad. If you are feeling lazy like me when I made this salad, pancetta can be found packaged and pre-diced which makes it an easy, tasty addition. And it takes literally minutes to cook. Of course, if you don’t have or want pancetta, bacon is always a good substitute (as it always is in my book!).  

I will be the first to say that this is not a light salad. But after the gluttony of a high carb, high sugar, high fat, high cholesterol, low nutritional value diet of the past couple of months, anything with raw, fresh greens is a step in the right direction of getting back to healthier eating for me. (I am dipping my toes into the pool as opposed to jumping right in!) If you wish to make the dressing a little lighter, try swapping out half of the mayo with plain yogurt. By replacing only half of the mayo, the flavor of the dressing will not be noticeably compromised.

May the new year find you and your loved ones happy, wealthy, and well!!

Recommended supplies:

(Affiliate links. The products I recommend are either what I use, are on my wish list, or come highly rated.)

• Mortar and pestle for to crack peppercorn to release oil and aroma.
• Small wire whisk to whip dressing.
• Small skillet to toast the peppercorn and to cook the pancetta.

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Roasted Black Pepper Caesar Salad with Pancetta

Author: Thao | In Good Flavor Cooking Method:Mixing Cuisine:American Courses:Salads Recipe Keys: V Vegetable

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 15 minutesCook time: 15 minutesTotal time: 30 minutesServings:4 Servings

Description

This Caesar salad with freshly roasted and cracked black pepper, pancetta, and homemade croutons starts a meal off right.  It can also be a delicious meal on its own!

Ingredients

For The Croutons:

• 3 cups 3/4″ cubed French bread, fresh or day old
• 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. regular black pepper

For the Salad:

• 1/2 rounded tsp. black peppercorns
• 4 oz. diced pancetta
• 2 tbsp. + 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 3 anchovy fillets (mashed) or 1 1/2 tsp. anchovy paste
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 tsp. grated garlic
• 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tbsp. finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
• 1 head of romaine, washed, dried and cut into bite size pieces

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. For the croutons: Place bread in a mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and regular black pepper. Toss bread with hands to coat with oil and seasoning. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until bread is toasted and golden brown.
3. Preheat a small skillet on medium-high. Add peppercorns. Shake skillet every 30 seconds until peppercorns begin to pop. Remove from heat. Place peppercorns in a mortar and pestle. Crack peppercorns, leaving some coarse pieces. Alternatively, place peppercorns in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crack peppercorns.
4. Using the same skillet on medium-high heat, add 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add pancetta. Cook until crispy. Remove the pancetta and place it on paper towels to drain off fat.
5. Combine anchovies, mayonnaise, grated garlic, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, black pepper, and grated Parmesan cheese in a bowl. Whisk until creamy. Place romaine in a large mixing bowl. Add 2/3 of the dressing. Toss to coat. Add croutons, pancetta, and shaved Parmesan cheese. Add more dressing if desired to suit your taste. Toss to incorporate.
6. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Keywords:Roasted Black Pepper, Caesar Salad, Pancetta

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