Spinach Salad on Garlic Croutons
- Level: Easy
- Total: 30 min
- Prep: 5 min
- Cook: 25 min
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
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 about 3 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.
