Ricotta and Pine Nut Salad

Name: Ricotta and Pine Nut Salad
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients: 2 cups ricotta; 1/3 cup (lightly packed) fresh basil leaves, more for garnish; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 3/4 cup pine nuts; 8 to 10 cups (loosely packed) mixed salad leaves; 2 heads Belgian endive, torn into pieces; 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil; Paprika

By Nigella Lawson

Total Time: 20 minutes
Rating: 5(606)
Notes: Read community notes

Here is a laid-back, unfussy salad that takes no time to prepare and is a great accompaniment to a summer pasta. It’s also good on its own for lunch.

Featured in: Pasta That Adds Bite to Vodka

Learn: How to Make Salad

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Ingredients

Yield:8 to 10 servings

2cups ricotta
⅓cup (lightly packed) fresh basil leaves, more for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¾cup pine nuts
8 to 10cups (loosely packed) mixed salad leaves
2heads Belgian endive, torn into pieces
2tablespoons red wine vinegar
¼cup extra virgin olive oil
Paprika

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Place ricotta in a mixing bowl and break up with a fork. Tear basil leaves into pieces, and toss with ricotta. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 2
Place a small dry skillet over medium heat, and add pine nuts. Stir constantly until nuts are darkly golden. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
Step 3
Arrange salad leaves on a large platter and sprinkle with Belgian endive. In a small bowl, combine vinegar and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle mixture over salad greens, and toss. Spread pine nuts evenly over greens.
Step 4
Drop small mounds of ricotta mixture onto greens. Dust ricotta with paprika, and garnish platter with basil leaves. Serve.

Ratings

5 out of 5

606 user ratings

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

SonomaSMB6 years ago

Simple and fantastic. If you want to gild the lily, pear or apples slices in the fall, or yellow and red halved grape tomatoes in the summer. And a chunk of great bread. What more could a person want?

sophie g4 years ago

Sliced honey crisp apples were a great addition (per another commenters notes). This worked extremely well with bitter sturdy mixed greens from chefs garden in Ohio. Was worried they would overpower the mild ricotta flavor - they did not.

jeffrey totaro3 years ago

I added beets

Amber6 years ago

This salad is super simple and really good. I entertain a lot at a summer house and I made this salad several times for various guests and it was always a hit.

LynnS3 years ago

This was very good. Since the ricotta adds wonderful creaminess to it, I think the dressing could handle a little more red wine vinegar. I also added more basil to the ricotta and lots of pepper. To me, ricotta plain can be... well, plain. Lol. So, the extra basil and heavy pepper helped a lot.

Laura G.2 months ago

Very good for weather in the 90s, though I adapted a bit: No endive, just a dark red lettuce throughout; subbed walnuts for pine-nuts, because I always do. Served wtih a chilled asparagus soup and the tomato bruschetta recipe also on this website that’s excellent.

CBokat1 year ago

So simple and so, so good

kelseyt2 years ago

Wouldn’t make this again by the recipe. Would recommend adding apple, pomegranate or something tart and more RWV. Ricotta salada would also be better than regular ricotta IMO.

Madeline2 years ago

Char/grill the endives before you add them. It’s great.

Betsy2 years ago

Good, easy and colorful! Will definitely make again and an excellent accompaniment to the Brown Butter Orzo with Butternut Squash.

DK2 years ago

So simple. So craveable. Making the salad for the 3rd time tonight. I like it with sheep's milk ricotta, and a little sprinkle of sumac and Aleppo pepper on top.

E2 years ago

I found this rather bland. Perhaps mixing some honey with the ricotta and adding dried cranberries or dried apricots would spruce it up. The paprika makes no sense in this dish it's just for show. Using lemon zest instead would make more sense. Alternatively, ditch the ricotta and use grated Parmesan instead. The basil and ricotta flavors don't work. Keep trying.

Rebecca Goodsell2 years ago

Followed recipe BUT no longer had fresh basil at hand so blended in homemade pesto into ricotta. We enjoyed salad

Charlie A.2 years ago

Another fabulous quick weeknight dinner. I added a few tangerine slices for a little acidic/sweet kick the second time I made it. Just fabulous.

LynnS3 years ago

Alejandro3 years ago

Recently I began trying to shift away from eating meat with almost every meal. This salad was great proof-of-concept (for me) that food made mainly with leafy greens can be rich, sumptuous and delicious! I devoured it!

Carla3 years ago

Used chives instead of basil and thin pear slices instead of endives. This is a fantastic salad, will be making it very often :)

serena3 years ago

wow. simple and good. paprika is a nice touch! will make again.

MelissaRI3 years ago

This was delish. Just added a bit of Mikes Hot Honey to dressing and used balsamic as that’s all I has and added dollops of homemade cranberry sauce. Will make again with dried cranberry and pan fried pancetta

jeffrey totaro3 years ago

I added beets

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