Spinach Salad on Garlic Croutons

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 12 slices crusty peasant bread
• 2 large cloves garlic, halved
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for liberal drizzling, plus 2 tablespoons
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1/4 pound thick cut pancetta, diced
• 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced 1/4-inch thick or quartered
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup Marsala or dry sherry
• 1/2 pound farm spinach - available bundled in produce department, washed, dried and chopped
• 1/2 small red onion, chopped
• 1 lemon
• Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Put the eggs in a pan, cover with water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover the pan, turn off the heat and let stand 10 minutes. Run the eggs under cold water, crack and return to cold water for a few minutes to loosen shells. Chop the eggs and set aside.

Arrange the bread on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove baking sheet from the oven and rub with the garlic. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with the cheese, then return to the oven to melt the cheese, about 1 to 2 minutes.

While bread toasts, heat a skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, a couple of turns of the pan. Add the pancetta and crisp for about3 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and cook until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and deglaze the pan with Marsala or dry sherry.

While mushrooms cook, combine spinach with red onions and dress with juice of 1 lemon, a liberal drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and nutmeg.

Arrange the toasts on a platter and top with the mushrooms and spinach. Garnish with chopped eggs and serve.