Warm Kabocha Squash Salad with Dandelion, Bacon, Roncal, and Pecans

Name: Warm Kabocha Squash Salad with Dandelion, Bacon, Roncal, and Pecans
Ingredients: 1/2 cup pecan halves (see Sources); 6 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil; 2 pounds Kabocha squash; 1 tablespoon thyme leaves; 2/3-pound slab applewood-smoked bacon; 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar; 8 ounces young dandelion greens, cleaned; 1/4 cup sliced shallots; 1/4-pound hunk Roncal, Manchego, or pecorino; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

January 24, 2012

This warm salad came about, like many of my dishes, as a way to show off one of my favorite ingredients—in this case, the lovely Kabocha squash. I roast the wedges of squash until they’re practically caramelized and then weave them into a salad of dandelion greens with a tart sherry vinaigrette. Tucked into the greens and squash you’ll find bacon lardons. Not to be confused with bacon bits, lardons are oversized rectangles of chewy, slightly crisped bacon, meaty and satisfying to bite into. Also hiding in the mix are salty toasted pecans and elegant shards of Roncal, an earthy sheep’s milk cheese from Spain.

Recipe notes

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