Proscuitto, Pecorino, and Brussels Sprout Salad

When Indian summer ended, I sort of lost my taste for vegetables. With the exception of potatoes, and though I love winter squash and a good tough head of kale, I just found myself preferring grilled cheese sandwiches over, I don’t know, radishes. Call me crazy.

And then, of course, I remembered: vegetables are not necessarily evil. I made this salad as a treat, during a long day of website data entry, when I was back to craving vegetables but knew Phoebe and I would need a treat. That’s really what this meal is-a salad treat. It’s not healthful like a salad with radishes is healthful, but it satisfies an innate desire for both lettuce and cheese and is the kind of modified indulgence that just seems to make sense at the start of a new year.

From my kitchen, albeit small, to yours,

Cara, THE QUARTER-LIFE COOK

Pecorino, and Brussels Sprout Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Serves 2

The Brussels sprouts are so good I recommend making extra for later use. Serve this salad with crusty rolls warmed in the oven.

Ingredients
1/2 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
kosher salt
1 tablespoon raspberry vinegar
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
freshly ground pepper
5 cups Romaine lettuce, chopped
5 slices prosciutto, cut into 1 x 4-inch strips
2 ounces pecorino, shaved

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a medium bowl, toss the Brussels sprouts with 1 tablespoon of the oil, smoked paprika, and a good pinch of salt. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, turning once, until the sprouts are crispy on the outside and soft through. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, make the salad dressing. Whisk together the two vinegars and the mustard. Add a few good grinds of pepper, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking as you go. The dressing should thicken as you go. Whisk in a pinch of salt, then taste for balance of flavors, adding a drizzle more vinegar or oil, or salt and pepper, as you like.

Divide the lettuce between two bowls. Toss each with about half of the dressing. Arrange half the prosciutto, half the pecorino, and a handful of Brussels sprouts on top of each. Grind more pepper over each salad, and serve.