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    Home » Recipes » Salads

    Grilled romaine lettuce with creamy caper dressing

    Published: Jul 25, 2016, Last updated: Sep 7, 2017 by Emily This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Grilled romaine lettuce with a creamy caper dressing. A simply stunning, light dish packed full of delicious flavours. Charred lettuce, smoky, salty pancetta (bacon) and a tangy creamy dressing. Perfect for lunch or dinner.

    Grilled romaine lettuce with creamy caper dressing www.insidetherustickitchen.com

    I absolutely LOVE grilled romaine lettuce. It's something you'd never really assume would work but it does and it's exceptionally good! It gives the romaine lettuce a totally different flavour making it charred, smokey and utterly delicious.

    I know it sounds kinda strange to grill lettuce of any form and I have to admit when I first heard of grilled romaine lettuce I did think, what? But after trying it I couldn't stop eating it, lunch and dinner you can dress it how you like in individual portions or cut up into a big salad bowl.

    Grilled romaine lettuce with creamy caper dressing 3 www.insidetherustickicthen.com

    You'd be surprised how filling it can be too, half a romaine lettuce is perfect for one serving as a main course. Just lather it in a beautiful creamy dressing and you're good to go. I decided to make a creamy caper dressing which I really love. I use this dressing over chicken when I make a caesar salad, it's so delicious and tangy and goes great with shaved Parmesan on top.

    Grilled romaine lettuce with creamy caper dressing 5 www.insidetherustickitchen.com

    The smoky, salty pancetta scattered on top of this salad recipe gives it a lovely texture and flavour, I mean anything with crispy bacon pieces on top is gonna be good, right? Is it time to eat yet? I'm hungry.

    Grilled romaine lettuce with creamy caper dressing 4 www.insidetherustickicthen.com

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    5 from 1 vote

    Grilled romaine lettuce with creamy caper dressing

    Grilled romaine lettuce with a creamy caper dressing. A simply stunning, light dish packed full of delicious flavours. Charred lettuce, smoky, salty pancetta (bacon) and a tangy creamy dressing. Perfect for lunch or dinner.
    Course lunch
    Cuisine Italian
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 5 minutes
    Total Time 15 minutes
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 220kcal
    Author Emily Kemp

    Ingredients

    • 2 Large Romaine lettuces
    • 5.2 oz (150g) smoked cubed pancetta
    • Parmesan to shave on top
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil

    for the dressing

    • 2 tablespoon capers
    • 3 salted anchovies
    • 4 baby gherkins
    • 2 heaped tablespoon good quality mayonnaise
    • 2 heaped tablespoon sour cream
    • 1 garlic clove
    • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
    • squeeze lemon
    • pepper to season

    Instructions

    • Finely chop the capers, anchovies and gherkins and place in a bowl. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice and sour cream and mix until all combined together. Sprinkle with pepper and set aside.
    • In a small sauce pan fry the pancetta until crispy, set aside. Put a large griddle pan on a medium/high heat. Cut the romaine lettuces in half and brush the cut side with olive oil. Place cut side down on the griddle pan and grill for 1-2 minutes until charred. You'll probably need to do two at a time.
    • Place on plates, drizzle with the dressing and scatter over the pancetta. Finish with shaved Parmesan and a sprinkle of pepper. Enjoy.

    Notes

    Please note this recipe was tested and developed using metric measurements all imperial measurements are approximate.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 220kcal
    Helpful Info for All Recipes
    • I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
    • When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
    • All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
    • All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
    • Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
    • Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
    • You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
    Did you try this recipe?Mention @insidetherustickitchen or tag #insidetherustickitchen! We'd love you see what you're getting up to in the kitchen!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nathan

      August 28, 2017 at 10:33 am

      This is one of my favourites the grilled romaine is so nice and the dressing...love it.5 stars

      Reply
    2. Ali @ Home & Plate

      July 26, 2016 at 5:57 pm

      I love lettuces grilled this way and this homemade dressing sounds wonderful. It's the best side dish to a make in the summer. Can't wait to try this one!

      Reply
    3. Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy

      July 26, 2016 at 5:32 pm

      That dressing is everything! I am going to have to try this next time we have a BBQ.

      Reply
    4. Michele @ Flavor Mosaic

      July 26, 2016 at 5:30 pm

      Grilled romaine is so delicious. Your recipe looks fabulous.

      Reply
    5. Jagruti

      July 26, 2016 at 4:45 pm

      Grilled romaine , I never had this..I must try with vegetarian options 🙂

      Reply
      • Inside the rustic kitchen

        July 26, 2016 at 5:12 pm

        Yes you definitely should it's great!:)

        Reply
    6. Andrea @ Cooking with Mamma C

      July 26, 2016 at 4:28 pm

      I love grilled romaine! It takes on a nice, smoky flavor. And you're right, it is really filling. I'm craving this now...

      Reply

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    Ciao, we're Emily and Nathan. Our years living in Italy taught us how to cook authentic and delicious Italian food. We're here to help you put a beautiful meal on the table with tried and tested recipes you can trust. more about us!

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