Market Salad with Parmesan Brittle

This is a proper Italian restaurant salad: bitter greens, sharp dressing, and an unexpected crunchy element that elevates the whole plate. Three sturdy greens (arugula, radicchio, and romaine) handle the robust vinaigrette without wilting into sadness, and each brings its own character. Arugula’s peppery bite, radicchio’s pleasant bitter edge, and romaine’s crisp neutrality play off one another.

The Parmesan brittle is the show-stealer. It’s essentially savory shortbread: butter cut into flour, mixed with grated Parmesan, paprika, pepper, and salt, then rolled thin and cut into strips. Baked until pale gold, the strips break with a satisfying snap and dissolve into buttery, cheesy bites.

Don’t worry if a few brittles break during transfer. Serve the broken bits anyway. Rustic presentation suits this salad.

The vinaigrette is classic French-Italian: red wine vinegar, Dijon, garlic, olive oil. The mustard emulsifies the dressing and helps it cling to the greens.

Kitchen Tips

• Grate Parmesan from a block yourself; pre-grated cheese is drier and won’t bind into brittle properly.
• Let the brittle cool a few minutes on the sheet pan before moving; warm biscuits break.
• Dress the salad just before serving; dressed greens wilt within 10 minutes.
• Tear, don’t cut, leafy greens to avoid bruised brown edges.

Variations

• Swap watercress for arugula if you can’t find it (as the recipe notes).
• Add shaved fennel or thin-sliced radishes for extra crunch.
• Sprinkle toasted pine nuts or walnuts over the top for another texture layer.