Warm Green Bean, Pancetta & Tomato Salad with Parmesan

By á-5730

This salad tastes best if teh green beans are freshly cooked and still warm when you toss them with the pancetta dressing.

Ingredients

• 4 medium tomatoes (about 18 ounces), preferably ripe heirlooms or garden tomatoes
• 5 T. sherry vinegar
• 1 T. honey
• 1/2 pound thinly sliced pancetta
• 5 to 7 T. EVOO
• 1 1/2 pounds green beans, ends trimmed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced chives
• 4-ounce chunk Parmigiano Reggiano, shaved with a vegetable peeler or cheese plane (to yield about 1 cup shavings)

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Core the tomatoes, slice them in half horizontally, and flick out most of the seeds and juice with a fingertip. Then cut the tomatoes into 1-inch chunks and put item in a large serving bowl.

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and honey.

In a 10" or 12" saute pan over medium heat, cook teh pancetta in two or three batches until crisp and golden, 3 to 5 minutes per batch. Remove the pancetta from the pan, drain on paper towels, roughly chop, and keep warm (or set aside at room temperature if making ahead). Depending on the pancetta, there might be lots of fat in the pan or there might be none. Pour the fat into a dish, measure out 2 tablespoons, and return it to the pan, discarding the rest. Add 5 tablespoons of the olive oil (or more to compensate if you didn't get enough pancetta fat) for a total of 7 tablespoons fat in the pan. Set aside.

When ready to serve, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Put the beans in the boiling water and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the beans and spread on paper towels or a dishtowel to dry briefly. Put the warm beans in the bowl with the tomatoes and set it at the back of the stovetop to keep warm. Put the pancetta in a warm oven for a few minutes while you finish the dressing.

Return the pan with the reserved pancetta fat adn oil to medium heat. When the fat is warm, whisk in the vinegar-honey mixture, turn the heat to high, and whisk until the mixture boils and emulsifies. Immediately pour the hot dressing over the vegetables in the bowl. Toss, season with salt and pepper, and add the chives. Sprinkle the chopped pancetta over the salad and scatter the cheese over the top; toss gently. Serve immediately.