I call this the Bice Salad because I first discovered this combination at Bice Italian Restaurant in Naples. It was one of the tastiest salads I’ve ever had — and so simple! It’s essentially just a few varieties of lettuce,* pine nuts, flavorful Parmesan, and lemon dressing. While I may be missing a nuance or their special touch, the combination of ingredients I was able to create is outstanding. I serve this often when entertaining, and it always gets rave reviews.
Since I discovered this salad combination, I've made it a dozen times — I never measure exactly, and it is always delicious. Here’s how you can make it too.
Arugula
Endive
Radicchio
Pine nuts
Fresh Parmesan
Lemon dressing (olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and sea salt)
* I use about 50% arugula, 30% endive, and 20% radicchio
Gather the quantities of lettuces to suit your taste.
Chop the lettuces rather small and add them to a salad bowl.
Add pine nuts and shaved Parmesan to the bowl — enough to add richness to the salad but not make it heavy.
Right before serving, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, and mix to coat the salad well. The olive oil will "cook" the lettuce, so it's best to mix right before serving.
Taste and add more of any desired ingredient to taste.
The Bice salad with nasturtium flowers.
The quality of the Parmesan and the olive oil is the key to the flavor of this salad, so buy fresh Parmesan. I also suggest you keep one olive oil in your pantry for cooking and one of higher quality with a more robust flavor for salads and for finishing a dish.
