Barefoot Contessa's Caesar Salad With Pancetta

Total Time: 35 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 3/4 lb pancetta, sliced 1/2-inch thick
• 2 pints cherry tomatoes
• olive oil
• kosher salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 2 large head romaine lettuce
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature*
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 8 -10 anchovy fillets (optional)
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (3 lemons)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups good mild olive oil
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 400 degrees f.
• 2 cut the pancetta into 1/2-inch cubes and cook it in a skillet over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until browned and crisp. (pancetta is italian bacon. you can find it in your italian grocery or a specialty food store. ask that it's cut 1/2-inch thick.).
• 3 remove to paper towels and drain.
• 4 place the tomatoes on a baking sheet and coat with olive oil.
• 5 sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• 6 roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until soft.
• 7 wash the lettuce leaves carefully and spin-dry in a salad spinner.
• 8 stack the leaves on a cutting board and cut them crosswise into 1 1/2-inch slices.
• 9 place them in a large mixing bowl.
• 10 for the dressing, place the egg yolk (*if you're nervous about raw egg yolks, substitue 2 tablespoons of real mayonnaise), mustard, garlic, anchovies, lemon juice, salt, and pepper into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.
• 11 process until smooth.
• 12 with the food processor running, slowly pour the olive oil through the feed tube (as though you were making mayonnaise), until thick.
• 13 add the 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese and pulse 3 times.
• 14 toss the lettuce with enough dressing to moisten well.
• 15 add 1 cup grated parmesan and toss.
• 16 divide the lettuce among 6 or 8 plates and sprinkle with the pancetta roasted tomatoes. serve at room temperature.