Caesar Salad with Pancetta

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Best caesar salad I've ever had (and I've had quite a few!. I was hesitant about the roasted tomatoes, but they added so much to the salad. Excellent!!!!!

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This salad is to die for and so like everything wonderful about Ina and her cooking. I love the way she always makes good food easy and so special. I made this salad the first time with the anchovy paste and then with the anchovies. I actually found that the paste added more salt so I would definitely go with the anchovies as no one sees them ground up in the dressing. The roasted tomatoes add so much flavor that I cannot imagine leaving them out. Taste and taste again as you create this so you get the salt flavor to the level you wish. The second time I made this for special guests and they raved about it. I served a plate of anchovies on the side with this for those who can't have a Caesar without them. Thank you Ina for a great and easy salad that WOW's!

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This recipe is ok, and like most, needs to be tweaked to taste. I'd say the following:
I liked the extra tang from all the lemon
Definitely use the anchovies, not paste
Use about half as much salt if you use all of the anchovies in her recipe
Use about 1c of oil (I mixed 3/4c canola, 1/8c rendered bacon fat and 1/8c light olive oil
Go with the egg yolks (I actually tried the mayo and then added in the yolks, they make a difference
I used 1 head of roast garlic instead of the 2 cloves raw, it mellowed the garlic taste nicely
Bacon is just as good as the fancy Pancetta
I added Parmesan tuiles sprinkled with ground pepper to fancy it up a bit for a dinner party
I didn't add the tomatoes, they don't belong in a caesar salad in my opinion

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Delicious caeser salad recipe! Only way I can get my husband to eat his vegetables: Only changes I would suggest is a little less lemon, and definitely DONT leave out the anchovies! I've tried it both ways and withouth the anchovies, it tastes more like a creamy lemon dressing. Last time I made this, I made more dressing then I needed with the plans to have the leftovers for lunch the next day, but it developed a strange taste/odor so I had to throw out the extras. Definitely use a mild olive oil to not overpower. Also, although I made the salad with the tomatoes the first time, no one seemed to really care for them and most even picked them out. The second time I made it, I left out the tomatoes and used regular bacon instead of pancetta. It was just as good.

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I LOVE the dressing! As another reviewer mentioned - it is quite lemony, but I love lemon & I think it gives the dressing a nice bright flavour that compliments the salad as a whole. If you love lemon, this won't be too lemony for you! Also, the last reviewer mentioned that she would prefer a creamier dressing and less olive taste - perhaps regular olive oil or extra virgin olive oil was used? I used a very light, mild-tasting olive oil and mine turned out perfectly creamy and no 'olivey' taste to be detected at all. Also, be sure to blend all ingredients except olive oil first and then drizzle in the olive oil as you blend. I also love adding homemade croutons by tearing up focaccia bread into bite-sized chunks and tossing in either olive oil or melted butter, seasoning with salt & pepper (and herbs if desired then popping in the oven for about 8-10 minutes to toast. I think my search for the perfect homemade Caesar dressing is over! Love you Ina! xxx

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The dressing was just "okay." I would've preferred a more creamier dressing and also less olive taste. Next time I will add another egg yolk and will use canola oil instead of olive oil. The pancetta and roasted tomatoes were a great addition!

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I loved the salad. The only thing I would suggest is to make the dressing with the egg, not the mayo. The dressing comes out thin. The taste is very good, but I would use a little less lemon (pretty sour. I love the roasted tomatoes and pancetta. Just a little something different. Thank you Ina!

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This was my first time making my own dressing. It has remarkable flavor, and is now one of my family favorites. I get requests to bring it along to big family dinners too. I feel accomplished!! Really yummy!!

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Awesome recipe!!! I replaced anchovi with fish sauce because it's a common ingredient in our kitchen.

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I've made this twice now and both times a big hit! The first time I used
the anchovy fillets, and the second time only had anchovy paste on hand,
so used that....not quite as good, but everyone still loved it.
In both cases I only used 3/4 cup of oil which was plenty!! I've noticed
this with all of her dressing recipes -- 1/2 the amount is fine. Trust me,
try it this way and you won't miss the extra oil. Yum! Everyone asks
for the recipe and so easy!