I'm having a love affair with radicchio. Last weekend, I drove 30 minutes north of the city to a farm stand where a local producer was selling their beautiful Radicchio La Rosa del Veneto—aka pink radicchio—so I could scoop up three heads of it. There's something so charming about eating crisp, bracingly bitter greens in the middle of winter. It's an instant pick-me-up. Because radicchio is so bitter, it really wants to be paired with other rich flavors. For this quick and beautiful salad, I layered in honey-tinged ricotta, crispy bacon and some roasted pistachios to create a beautifully balanced bite. If you can't find pink radicchio near you, no worries! This can easily be made with the more common varieties—you just might want to up the honey and salt a bit to compensate for the more intense flavor.
INGREDIENTS
1 head radicchio
1/2 cup ricotta
1 tsp honey
2 pieces of thick-cut bacon
roasted pistachios
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
DIRECTIONS
Slice the bacon into 1/2" pieces, then cook over medium heat until crispy. Remove from the heat and drain on paper towels while you make the rest of the salad.
Combine the ricotta and honey with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Whip for about a minute until the honey is incorporated and the ricotta is slightly fluffy.
Add the cleaned radicchio to a big mixing bowl. Drizzle it with the lemon juice and olive oil and add a pinch of salt. Gently toss with your hands until each piece is well coated. Give it a taste and adjust if needed.
To plate the salad, add half of the ricotta mixture to the plate and spread in a thick layer. Arrange half of the dressed radicchio on top and finish with a sprinkle of bacon, some pistachios and some fresh-cracked pepper. Repeat with the remaining ingredients for the second salad.
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