Roasted Broccoli Ceasar Salad with Crispy Pepperoni and Burrata
A hearty and flavorful take on a Caesar salad, this version uses some roasted broccoli and croutons along with some pepperoni and creamy burrata to transform the classic salad into a meal.Â
- Yield: Serves about 4
- Category: Salads
Ingredients
Scale
For the Sheet Pan Salad
- 2 crowns/heads of broccoli, cut into small florets (a bag of pre-cut fresh broccoli also works)
- Olive oil, as needed for coating
- 3 to 4 cups cubed bread, about 3/4-inch cubes (I used day-old dinner rolls)
- 1 Romaine lettuce heart, separated into leaves (or you can chop it)
- 24 pepperonis (or to taste)
- 8-ounce ball of burrata (mozzarella can be subbed)
- Grated or shaved parmesan, to taste
For the Lazy Caesar Dressing
- 2 tablespoons Dijon Dressing
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- Juice of 1/2 lemon (plus more as needed)
- 1 to 2 anchovy fillets, minced
- 1 small or 1/2 large garlic clove
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, as needed (I use about 1/3 cup)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cover a large sheet pan with parchment paper (optional, but helpful with clean-up).
- Put the broccoli florets on one side of the sheet pan, and the bread cubes on the other. Toss everything very well with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper (if you need to use 2 sheet pans, that’s fine). Lay the pepperoni on top, just scatter them over the pan and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how big your broccoli is, tossing halfway through. Take the pan(s) out when the broccoli is nice and charred on the tips and the bread is super golden and crunchy. The pepperoni will be very crispy now, and significantly darkened. If you want to take them out before the broccoli and bread are finished – that’s totally fine as well.Â
- Arrange the lettuce on a big platter and top with the sheet pan contents. Tear the burrata and tuck pieces in all over the salad. Scatter with some shaved/grated parmesan or pecorino. Serve with the Lazy Caesar Dressing (below).
For the Lazy Caesar Dressing
Combine all ingredients through the garlic in a food processor and, with the motor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil until a smooth, pourable consistency is reached (I use about 1/3 cup). Taste, season with salt and pepper and adjust anything as you need to. Too mustardy? Add more mayo and olive oil. Love anchovies? Throw another in! Just adjust until you love it.Â