Fresh Snow Pea Salad with Pancetta & Pecorino

By reehmj

Ingredients

• 1 pound snow peas—strings removed, peas sliced on the diagonal 1/4 inch thick
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 ounces thickly sliced pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1/2 small white onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon oil (see Note)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup mint leaves, torn
• 2 ounces shaved Pecorino Sardo cheese

Preparation

Step 1

1. Soak the snow peas in ice water for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the pancetta and cook over moderate heat until lightly browned and the fat has rendered, about 5 minutes. Spoon off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Drain the snow peas and pat dry. In a medium bowl, whisk the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil with the lemon juice and lemon oil and season with salt and pepper. Add the snow peas, pancetta, onion and half of the mint and season with salt and pepper; toss well. Garnish with the remaining mint, shave the pecorino on top and serve.