Chef, restauranteur and bestselling author Lidia Bastianich just celebrated twenty-five years on public television! This salad couldn’t be simpler or more Italian and it goes with many entrees, including her Skillet Chicken Thighs with Cerignola Olives and Potatoes. She likes to pair the two and serve her Ricotta Cookies for dessert.
“Porcini are my absolute favorite mushrooms, and I have very fond memories of foraging for them in the hills of Emilia-Romagna with Dante Laurenti, who was a captain at my restaurant Felidia when we first opened, in 1981. This delicious salad is very time-sensitive, since all the ingredients are tender, so toss at the last minute. If you have no porcini, very thinly sliced shiitake or cremini mushrooms may be substituted. Whichever type of mushroom you choose, make sure they are firm and as free of blemishes as possible. Before slicing, trim any tough parts from the stems—cut the shiitake stems off completely and wipe the caps clean with a damp paper towel.” —Lidia
Ingredients
- One 2-inch piece piece Grana Padano cheese 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice ¼ teaspoon kosher saltFreshly ground black pepper, to taste 4 ounces baby arugula2 ounces fresh porcini mushrooms, wiped clean, trimmed, and finely sliced (about 2 cups)
Yield Preparation
Make 1-inch shards of cheese by shaving it with a vegetable peeler. You should have about 1 ¼ cups. Set the shards aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil and lemon juice with the salt and pepper to taste until blended. Add the arugula and mushrooms. Toss until the salad is coated with dressing, then fold in the shaved Grana Padano and divide salad among serving plates.
Excerpted from Lidia’s Celebrate Like an Italian by Lidia Bastianich. Copyright © 2017 by Lidia Bastianich. Used with permission by Knopf. All rights reserved.