Perfect for parties, this salad scales up easily and swaps traditional vinaigrette for a herbaceous, spicy Arugula-based salsa verde that can easily be made ahead of time. If serving a group, simply double the quantities.
Salads
Bowery Arugula, Pear and Ricotta Salad with Basil Salsa Verde
Prep: 15-20 Minutes
Serves 4-6
VG
Made for Bowery By
Rick Martinez
Rick Martinez is a James Beard Award nominee, future cookbook author and contributing food editor to Bon Appétit, New York Times and Food Network with a deep love of Mexican culture and cuisine. Rick lives in New York but is currently in Mexico researching regional food for his upcoming book, Siete Platos.
Featured Bowery Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Bowery Arugula, chopped
- 1/2 package Bowery Basil, leaves and stems, packed
- 6 tablespoons roasted salted pistachios
- 2 anchovy fillets
- 2 1/2 tablespoons brined capers, drained
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated
- 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more
- Bowery Arugula, 4.0 oz
- 1 Bosc, Bartlett or Anju pears, core removed and thinly sliced
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta
- flakey sea salt and extra-virgin olive oil, for serving
Make it vegetartian
To make this recipe vegetarian, substitute an additional ½ tablespoon capers for the anchovies and add extra salt at the end.
Make it vegan
To make this recipe vegan, substitute the ricotta for a plant-based equivalent.
Recipe Preparation
- Puree arugula, basil, pistachios, anchovies, capers, garlic, lemon juice and salt in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in oil. Season with salt and pepper and adjust consistency with additional olive oil if necessary.
- Arrange arugula and pears on plates or a large platter. Dollop 3 tablespoons of ricotta on the plate and drizzle with salsa verde. Top with olive oil and sea salt.
- Do ahead: Salsa verde can be made 1 month ahead, store in an airtight container and freeze. Extra salsa verde can also be frozen for up to 1 month.
