Recipe: Zach's Escarole Salad

Enlarge this image

Serves 6

2 heads escarole, tough outer green leaves removed, remaining leaved torn into bite-sized pieces
5 sunchokes, scrubbed and thinly sliced
1/2 cup blanched whole almonds, toasted and ground or finely chopped
1/2 cup coarsely grated Tuscan caciotta or cacio di Roma
6 tablespoons Lemon Vinaigrette (see below)
Maldon or other flaky sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper

Soak the escarole in a bowl of cool water for 10 minutes to crisp it. Drain and spin dry.

Combine the sunchokes, almonds, and cheese in a large bowl, tossing to mix. Add the escarole, tossing gently. Drizzle with half the vinaigrette, tossing to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer the salad to a serving bowl and serve with the remaining vinaigrette on the side.

Lemon Vinaigrette

Makes 3/4 cup

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon marmellata (marmalade) or a generous pinch of grated lemon zest
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, preferably Tuscan

Whisk together the lemon juice, marmellata, and olive oil together in a small bowl. (The vinaigrette can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

Excerpted from Molto Gusto: Easy Italian Cooking by Mario Batali. Copyright 2010. Reprinted by permission of Ecco.