Sweet, salty, creamy, peppery and tangy. That balance of elements comes together perfectly in this simple but sophisticated salad. Grilling peaches brings out the flavour and sweetness, as does a crisp and salty pancetta or prosciutto to go with. A mild cheese like ricotta is a great choice because it doesn’t compete with the flavours. But far from fading into the background, it stands alone with a creamy softness you won’t want to do without.
You can bake your own ricotta, but we’ve done all the hard work for you with this one. Simply slice and serve, or warm slightly as we have with this dish. You may not have tried our baked ricotta before, but it is well worth seeking out to have on hand. (You could ask your Olympus stockist to bring it in for you!) Apart from using baked ricotta for amazing salads like this one, you can also use it for desserts and on your cheese platter.
We have opted for a sweet balsamic reduction with this salad, which you can add before serving or drizzle over those gorgeous peaches for an altogether tempting, caramelised picture.
Have we convinced you to make this salad yet? We hope so!
Baked Olympus Ricotta, Grilled Peach & Crispy Pancetta Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 1/2 round Olympus baked ricotta (about 125 grams)
- 1 cup rocket
- 50 grams pancetta or prosciutto
- 1 peach
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 Tb extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic Reduction
- ¼ cup good quality balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tb brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 120 degrees Celsius.
- Place pre-baked ricotta in a shallow dish and warm in your oven while everything is cooking. (You’re not looking to cook it further here or get it really hot, but just take it up to just over room temperature so that it’s nice and soft.
- In a small saucepan, add balsamic vinegar and sugar, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil, and then turn to a simmer until mixture reduces and thickens. Once cool, be sure to remove from heat and transfer to your serving jug, as it will thicken further on standing. Arrange a shallow serving bowl with rocket leaves Halve and destone your peach, and then cut into ⅛ pieces. Brush with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with brown sugar. Fry over high heat (a griddle pan gives a nice look to your peaches), turning when charred nicely on one side. Slice pancetta into bite-sized pieces and heat in a separate frypan until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel to drain.
- Arrange peaches and pancetta over rocket leaves.
- Slice baked ricotta and then pull pieces apart into bite-sized chunks to dance around your other ingredients like little pieces of heaven.
- Pour dressing over and serve immediately.