Chef Ally
Arugula with Shaved Pecorino and Lemon
Peppery arugula leaves tossed in nothing but fresh lemon and good olive oil, showered with curls of aged pecorino. A salad that proves the best cooking is knowing when to get out of the way.
Culinary Explorer
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Raw Zucchini with Mint and Pecorino
Created by
Paper-thin ribbons of young summer squash dressed with nothing but lemon, good olive oil, torn mint, and salty curls of aged pecorino. A salad that proves the best cooking is often no cooking at all.
Salads
Italian
Weeknight
Quick Meal
15 min
Active Time
0 min cook•15 min total
Yield4 servings
Zucchini gets overlooked. It arrives in abundance at every summer market, piled high, practically free. People roast it, grill it, bake it into bread, and still complain that it is bland. The problem is not the squash. The problem is that we forget to eat it raw.
Small, firm zucchini, picked that morning, shaved thin and dressed simply, is a different vegetable entirely. It is crisp, sweet, and full of a green freshness that cooking destroys. The texture matters here. You want ribbons thin enough to be tender but sturdy enough to hold a slick of olive oil without collapsing.
This is a salad that cannot be made ahead. The salt draws moisture the moment it touches the squash, and within minutes you have a puddle instead of a salad. Prepare everything, then dress and serve in one fluid motion. Your guests should see it at its peak, before the aliveness fades.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
small, firm zucchini
Quantity
1 pound (about 4 small)
extra-virgin olive oil
Quantity
3 tablespoons, plus more for finishing
lemon
Quantity
1
zested and juiced
flaky sea salt
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon, plus more to taste
black pepper
Quantity
to taste
freshly cracked
fresh mint leaves
Quantity
1/4 cup
torn
pecorino romano
Quantity
2 ounces
shaved with a vegetable peeler
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| small, firm zucchini | 1 pound (about 4 small) |
| extra-virgin olive oil | 3 tablespoons, plus more for finishing |
| lemonzested and juiced | 1 |
| flaky sea salt | 1/2 teaspoon, plus more to taste |
| black pepperfreshly cracked | to taste |
| fresh mint leavestorn | 1/4 cup |
| pecorino romanoshaved with a vegetable peeler | 2 ounces |
Equipment Needed
- •Sharp vegetable peeler or mandoline
- •Wide, shallow serving platter
Instructions
- 1
Select your zucchini
Start at the market. You want small zucchini, no longer than six inches, firm and heavy for their size. Press the skin gently. It should resist without yielding. Large zucchini are watery and seedy, fine for cooking but wrong here. The small ones have concentrated flavor and a texture that holds up raw.
Ask the farmer which were picked this morning. Zucchini loses its aliveness quickly after harvest. - 2
Shave the zucchini
Trim both ends of each zucchini. Using a sharp vegetable peeler or mandoline, shave the squash lengthwise into long, thin ribbons. Work from all sides, rotating as you go, until you reach the seedy core. Stop there. The core can go into tomorrow's stock or compost. You want ribbons thin enough to bend without breaking, almost translucent at the edges.
A Y-shaped vegetable peeler gives you more control than a mandoline and feels safer in your hand. Go slowly. - 3
Dress immediately before serving
Spread the zucchini ribbons on a wide, shallow serving plate or platter. This salad cannot wait. The moment salt touches the squash, it begins to weep. Drizzle the olive oil over the ribbons, then the lemon juice. Season with flaky salt and several grinds of black pepper. Toss gently with your hands, lifting and folding so every ribbon is coated.
- 4
Add mint and cheese
Scatter the torn mint leaves across the dressed zucchini. Tearing releases the oils in a way cutting cannot. Add the pecorino shavings, letting them fall where they will. Finish with a final drizzle of olive oil and a little of the lemon zest. Taste. Adjust salt if needed. The cheese is salty, so go carefully.
- 5
Serve immediately
Bring the salad to the table the moment it is dressed. Within ten minutes, the zucchini will begin to soften and release water. This is a salad that rewards immediacy. Let your guests see it at its peak, ribbons still holding their shape, mint bright, cheese in crisp curls. It should taste of summer.
Chef Tips
- •Buy zucchini no larger than your index finger. The small ones have tight flesh and almost no seeds. If you can only find large squash, halve them lengthwise and scoop out the seedy center before shaving.
- •Pecorino romano is the traditional choice, sharp and salty. Parmigiano-Reggiano works if that is what you have, though it is milder. Use a vegetable peeler to create thin curls rather than grating.
- •This salad belongs to high summer, July through early September. In winter, consider a similar preparation with fennel, shaved thin, dressed with lemon and parmesan. Different vegetable, same principle.
- •Good olive oil is not optional. You are eating it raw, so every flaw will announce itself. Taste your oil before you dress the salad.
Advance Preparation
- •Shave the zucchini up to one hour ahead and keep covered with a damp towel in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before dressing.
- •Tear the mint, shave the cheese, and mix the dressing components in a small jar ahead of time. Assemble only at the moment of serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 150g)
Calories
165 calories
Total Fat
14 g
Saturated Fat
4 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
10 g
Cholesterol
15 mg
Sodium
360 mg
Total Carbohydrates
5 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
3 g
Protein
6 g
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