Italian salad

 

Italian salad, made of lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, olives, croutons, & a flavorful dressing, is one of the simplest and greatest salads available.

 

1/2 day-old loaf pane di casa

Olive oil spray

1/4 cup finely grated parmesan

2 baby lettuce, leaves roughly torn

red and yellow grape tomatoes, halved

1 red capsicum, cut into thin strips

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

marinated mixed pitted olives

 

Dressing

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 garlic cloves, peeled, flattened

1/2 tsp dried oregano

 

Season the ingredients in a screw-top jar to make the dressing. Close the lid firmly and shake vigorously to mix. Set aside to allow flavors to emerge. In the meantime, preheat the oven to a temperature of 180 degrees Celsius/160 degrees Celsius fan-forced. Grease a large baking tray lightly. Place bread in 2-3cm slices on the prepared tray. Cook for ten minutes after spraying with oil. Remove from the oven and press the bread pieces together. Parmesan cheese, evenly distributed. Cook for five to ten minutes more, till crisp and golden. Place aside to cool. In a large mixing basin, combine the lettuce, tomato, capsicum, and onion. Toss with 1/4 cup of the dressing (discard garlic cloves) to mix. Serve on a large serving dish. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the salad & serve shortly.