Grilled Romaine with Parmesan Pangritata & Caesar-ish Dressing
Updated May 08, 2025, Published May 03, 2024
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Pangritata is an Italian peasant garnish that is, essentially, poor man’s parmesan. When money was tight in the old country, people would fry up coarsely chopped stale bread with garlic and herbs and use that as a topping for pasta instead of grated cheese. In this recipe, I am combining poor man’s parmesan with actual parmesan to create a dynamite topping for this salad. The charred romaine makes a sexy centerpiece, but it also tastes amazing raw if you don’t want to bother with a flame.
Grilled Romaine with Parmesan Pangritata
Ingredients
Breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, , minced
- ¾ cup fresh gluten-free breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Salad
- 3 hearts of romaine lettuce, , halved lengthwise
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup Caesar-ish Dressing
- ¼ cup torn fresh herbs, (mint, dill, tarragon, or basil)
Instructions
- Make the breadcrumbs. In a medium nonstick skillet, heat the oil over a medium flame. Add the garlic and breadcrumbs. Sauté until the crumbs are golden brown (if they brown too fast, turn the heat to low), about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and immediately toss with the parmesan and salt. Set aside.
- Make the salad. Preheat an outdoor gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat, or place a grill pan over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Dry the romaine with a clean kitchen towel and brush the cut sides lightly with oil. Place the lettuce, cut-side down, on the grate and grill until char marks form and the leaves begin to wilt slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter.
- Top the grilled romaine with a drizzle of dressing, followed by a pile of pangritata and herbs.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If raw egg yolk freaks you out, you can cheat by making a classic Caesar dressing with mayonnaise. It is essentially the same base ingredients. My version is dairy-free but still packed with the requisite anchovies since they are high in selenium and omega-3 fatty acids, but low in mercury. A dream carb companion.
Caesar-ish Dressing
Ingredients
- 4 oil-packed anchovy fillets, , or 1 tablespoon anchovy paste
- 1 garlic clove
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, (from 2 lemons)
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- In a small food processor, combine the anchovies, garlic, lemon juice, mayonnaise, mustard, and salt. Pulse until smooth. Stream in the oil slowly, pulsing to combine. If you don’t have a food processor, mince the anchovies and garlic by hand and whisk into the remaining ingredients. Taste for seasoning, and add more salt or lemon juice, as needed. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
