Dinner for One: Grilled Fig and Peach Arugula Salad with Ricotta Salata and a Black Pepper Vinaigrette

UGH. I hate long recipe titles but I really wanted to convey what the heck was in this thing. It's important. This salad is an honest to Yeezus (I had no idea this was Kayne's nickname until like two days ago so now I use it all the time) example of what I've been eating for the past few weeks. I'm a big fan of dinner for one, mainly because I kind of sometimes like it when no one talks to me for a few hours and I can be alone with my thoughts/latest episode of Real Housewives.

I never like my "dinner for ones" to be too labor-intensive. I can't bother to make a mess. This salad is sooo quick and so amazing. Figs are officially in season, yet I can't find any that really taste the way they should. I bought a big box of them last week and quickly realized that nature needed a bit of a hand, a little tap on the bottom. Nothing that a little brown sugar and a griddle can't fix! And voila they tasted like grade-A, delicious, sweet figs.

I mixed it with bright, sweet yellow peaches, crushed pistachios and arugula. It was incredible. And since I couldn't' get enough of the peppery flavor that the arugula gave me, I paired it with a black pepper vinaigrette and topped it with slivers of prosciutto and ricotta salata.

Do you know how to compose a salad? I remember watching this video with Chef Nancy Silverton a few years ago on the method of properly composing a salad and was like, "I've been doing it all wrong." It's all about taking the simple things and getting into the nitty-gritty details. The devil (or beauty) is in the details.

You should put your eyeballs on that video for a few minutes--it's worth a watch.

I now compose my salads like her: drying the leaves properly.

And then salting them before any dressing is added.

Adding just enough dressing to lightly coat the leaves (I despise overdressed leaves).

Grilled figs are perfect when sprinkled with a bit of brown sugar and a pinch of salt.

A ton of peppery flavors going on paired with sweet yellow peaches and salty and smokey prosciutto. I love this thing so much.

Dinner for one is my jam.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe

Dinner for One: Grilled Fig and Peach Arugula Salad with Ricotta Salata and a Black Pepper Vinagrette

Author: Adrianna Adarme

Ingredients

Dressing:

• 3 tablespoons good-quality olive oil
• 1 teaspoon good balsamic vinegar
• Juice from ½ lemon
• Salt
• 6-7 turns freshly ground pepper

Salad:

• 4 figs halved
• 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
• Salt
• Olive oil
• Few handfuls of arugula 2 ounces, cleaned and dried
• 1 yellow peach sliced
• 3-4 pistachios chopped
• 2 slices prosciutto
• Ricotta salata

Instructions

• In a small bowl, add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper; mix until thoroughly combined. Do a taste test and add a bit more salt, if you like. Set aside.
• Sprinkle the figs with the dark brown sugar and a pinch of salt. Heat a grill or grill pan. When hot, brush with olive oil. Place the figs on the hot grill, face down and cook for 1-2 minutes, until grill marks appear. Remove and set aside.
• To a large mixing bowl, add the arugula. Sprinkle the leaves with salt. Add half of the dressing and lightly toss the salad. Transfer the lettuce to your serving plate. Add the peaches to the mixing bowl and toss with a bit of dressing. Transfer the peaches and figs to the serving plate, arranging how ever you like. Top with a sprinkling of pistachios, a few torn pieces of prosciutto and thin slices of ricotta salata.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g

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