Chef notes
I like to use tender, light-green escarole hearts in salads such as this one, but don't disregard the darker and tougher outer leaves! They are perfect for braising, or shredded in soups. This is an ideal dish to make when we're transitioning from summer to fall, when the fall vegetables are in the market but the days are still warm enough to warrant a salad for dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 large acorn squash or 2 small delicata squash, quartered, seeded and sliced 1/2-inch thick
- 3 large carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, divided
- 2 escarole hearts, coarsely chopped
- 1 (2-ounce) piece ricotta salata
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Preparation
1.Preheat the oven to 400 F with a baking sheet on the bottom rack.
2.Toss the squash and carrots in a large bowl with the ground fennel and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil; season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a generous grind of black pepper. Spread the vegetables on the baking sheet and roast until almost tender, about 20 minutes. Set the bowl aside.
3.Add the chickpeas to the baking sheet with the squash and carrots, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the balsamic vinegar and 1 additional tablespoon of the olive oil. Stir to coat everything in the oil on the baking sheet and continue to roast until the vegetables are browned and tender and the chickpeas have begun to crisp, 8 to 10 minutes more.
4.While they're still warm, put the contents of the baking sheet in the bowl used to toss the vegetables. Dress with the remaining tablespoon of the vinegar and remaining 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the escarole and toss well. Shred the ricotta salata over top with a vegetable peeler and sprinkle with the toasted almonds. Serve immediately.
From "Lidia's a Pot, a Pan, and a Bowl" by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali. Copyright © 2021 by Tutti a Tavola, LLC. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
