This grilled romaine salad has amazing flavors of pancetta, pecorino and pine nuts with a lemony dressing. It may look really fancy, but it's so easy to make!
Have you ever grilled your lettuce before? If not, you're missing out! Grilling lettuce gives it such a different flavor than when it's eaten fresh.
Why do you grill lettuce?
When grilled, romaine lettuce goes to a new depth of flavour - smoky and hearty, something you don't get with fresh lettuce. It's a good way to eat lettuce if you're bored of the regular stuff - the crispy inside provides a nice contrast to the soft, caramelized exterior.
Romaine is especially suitable for grilling because it has good structure to it, isn't too soft, so it won't fall apart when grilled.
Do you wash romaine before grilling?
Yes! Just cut the romaine hearts vertically and wash them either in the sink/bowl filled with water or under the running faucet. Make sure to dry them thoroughly before grilling.
How can you grill romaine on the stove?
Easy! Just use a cast iron grill pan, place it on one of the burners, and you're ready to grill your romaine!
Of course you can grill your romaine on your outdoor BBQ, but the indoor grill pan is a nice option if you don't have a BBQ or don't feel like firing it up.
How to make grilled romaine salad - step by step
Prepare the romaine hearts
Remove the outer leaves, especially if they seem old or damaged. Trim the top of the romaine heart (about 1 inch).
Shave off the browned part of the root end, but don't remove it completely – this is what will keep the romaine heart intact when cut and grilled.
With a large knife, cut the romaine heart vertically (through the root end). (photo 1)
Cook the pancetta
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Add the pancetta.
Cook the pancetta for about 10 minutes, until it is crispy and the fat has rendered. (photo 2)
Remove the pancetta from the pan, place on a plate lined with paper towel. Reserve the rendered pancetta fat.
Make the dressing
In a bowl, add 2 tablespoon olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, rendered pancetta fat (about 1 tbsp), and salt and pepper. Whisk with a fork. (photo 3)
Grill the romaine
Drizzle olive oil on to romaine hearts, season with salt and pepper. Be light on the salt because the pancetta and pecorino are already salty. Grill romaine hearts on medium-high heat on both sides in a grill pan or BBQ. (photo 4)
Place romaine hearts face side up on a plate – top with dressing, crispy pancetta, pecorino and pine nuts. (photo 5)
Top Tips:
- Grill both sides of the lettuce so all sides get that beautiful caramelization and smoky flavor
- You can substitute parmigiano reggiano shavings for the pecorino
- The pecorino and pancetta are already very salty, so be light on the salt on the rest of this dish
- Using other lettuces: romaine is ideal for grilling because it's a sturdy lettuce that keeps its shape. I wouldn't recommend grilling other lettuces because they tend to be softer and wouldn't stand up to grilling very well.
More Italian salad recipes you might like:
- Grilled Peach Salad with Prosciutto and Burrata
- Fennel Salad with Blood Orange, Pomegranate and Capers
- Prosciutto and Arugula Salad
If you’ve tried making this Grilled Romaine Salad, or any other recipe on the blog please let me know what you thought of it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’ve been up to.
Recipe
Grilled Romaine Salad with Pancetta, Pine Nuts and Pecorino
Ingredients
- 2 romaine hearts cut in half vertically
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ lemon zested
- 3 tablespoon olive oil plus more for drizzling
- ½ cup pancetta cubed
- 1 tablespoon pine nuts
- 2 tablespoon pecorino shaved
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare the romaine hearts
- Remove the outer leaves, especially if they seem old or damaged. Trim the top of the romaine heart.
- Shave off the browned part of the root end, but don't remove it completely - this is what will keep the romaine heart intact when cut and grilled.
- With a large knife, cut the romaine heart vertically (through the root end).
Cook the pancetta
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Add the pancetta.
- Cook the pancetta for about 10 minutes, until it is crispy and the fat has rendered. Remove the pancetta from the pan, place on a plate lined with paper towel. Reserve the rendered pancetta fat.
Make the dressing
- In a bowl, add 2 tablespoon olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, rendered pancetta fat (about 1 tbsp), and salt and pepper. Whisk with a fork.
Grill the romaine
- Drizzle olive oil on to romaine hearts, season with salt and pepper. Be light on the salt because the pancetta and pecorino are already salty. Grill romaine hearts on medium-high heat on both sides in a grill pan or BBQ.
- Place romaine hearts face side up on a plate - top with dressing, crispy pancetta, pecorino and pine nuts.
Recipe Notes
- Grill both sides of the lettuce so all sides get that beautiful caramelization and smoky flavor
- You can substitute parmigiano reggiano shavings for the pecorino
- The pecorino and pancetta are already very salty, so be light on the salt on the rest of this dish
- Using other lettuces: romaine is ideal for grilling because it's a sturdy lettuce that keeps its shape. I wouldn't recommend grilling other lettuces because they tend to be softer and wouldn't stand up to grilling very well.
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