• HOME
  • RECIPES
    • Salad Index
      • 10 Minute Salads
      • Dinner Salads
      • Few Ingredient Recipes
      • Gourmet Salads
      • Grain & Pasta Salads
      • Leaf Salads
      • Legume and Pulse Salads
      • Low Carb
      • Make Ahead Salads
      • Summer Salads
      • Winter Salads
      • Fruit Salads
    • Dressing Index
    • Spice Blends & Pastes
  • This & That
    • FRUIT AND VEGETABLE WASHING
    • How to prep avocado one step at a time
    • How to prepare artichokes…
    • How to salt eggplant…
    • How to cut chiffonade…
    • How to Trim Green Beans – the fast way!
    • How to soften kale for unforgettable salads
    • How to peel & devein a prawn…
    • Conversions & Measures
      • Measuring Cups and Spoons Worldwide
      • Liquid vs Dry Measures – what’s the differences?
  • LET’S SHOP!
  • Generic selectors
    Exact matches only
    Search in title
    Search in content
    Search in posts
    Search in pages

    More results...

  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

Salads with Anastasia

Leave a Comment

Mustard Vinaigrette for Asparagus & Pancetta Salad

Few Ingredient Recipes· Gourmet Salads· Summer Salads

Share5
Pin9
Tweet
Share
Jump to Recipe
Gluten FreeDairy Free

This mustard vinaigrette recipe is both tart and creamy, not only is it absolutely sensational with char-grilled asparagus and crispy pancetta but perfect with so much more.


MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE WITH ASPARAGUS AND PANCETTA

There is just something magical about roasted asparagus it brings out a nice smoky flavour that is wonderful with the salty pancetta and the mustard thyme vinaigrette in this salad.

More on the mustard vinaigrette

This gorgeous mustard vinaigrette is both tart and creamy and would work equally as well with sturdy salad greens such as cos (romaine) lettuce and kale or soft lettuce such as butter, bib or oak leaf.

It also works well with cooked vegetables such as beetroot, broccoli or baby (Dutch) carrots and is even great in grain salads.

Serve it over grilled pork chops, steak or grilled chicken breasts for some added flavour.

You can also substitute the Dijon mustard with whole grain mustard for some added texture. Whole Grain mustards use black and brown mustard seeds instead of yellow and it is similar to Dijon in that wine instead of vinegar is used as a base.

What is flat pancetta?

Flat pancetta is made from pork belly that has been salted and spiced before being allowed to mature for  6-8 weeks. It was traditionally used in spaghetti ala carbonara in place of bacon but partners beautifully here with grilled asparagus and mustard vinaigrette.

If you are unable to find it for this salad you may substitute with speck or thick-cut bacon pieces. 

ASPARAGUS & PANCETTA

Let me show you how to make it step-by-step

STEP 1 -Fry the pancetta

  1. Heat a large heavy-based frypan on medium-high heat on your stove.
  2. Cut your pancetta into small dice (6x6x6 mm or ¼ x ¼ x ¼ inch cubes).
  3. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to your hot pan, add the pancetta and fry until golden and crisp (approximately 3-5 minutes).
  4. Remove your pancetta with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain. Do not discard the pancetta oil in the pan, we are going to use it coat your asparagus.
  • RAW PANCETTA
    CUT PANCETTA INTO SMALL DICE
  • FRYING PANCETTA
    FRY UNTIL GOLDEN (RESERVE OIL)

STEP 2 – Prepare the asparagus

  1. The best way to test how much you should cut from your asparagus is to hold the asparagus about halfway down the spear and bend the stalk until it snaps.
  2. Then use it as a guide to cut the rest of your asparagus stalks by lining them up together and cutting off with a sharp chef’s knife.
  3. Use the leftover pancettal oil to coat your asparagus, season and toss until combined. Do this in a square or rectangular pan so that you can easily transfer onto your barbecue. 
  • BENDING ASPARAGUS TO CUT OFF WOODY STALKS
    BEND THE STALK
  • BENDING ASPARAGUS TO CUT OFF WOODY STALKS 2
    SNAP THE SPEAR
  • LINING UP YOUR ASPARAGUS FOR CUTTING
    LINE THEM UP AND CUT THEM
  • 01-SEASON-&-OIL ASPARAGUS
    SEASON AND OIL THEM

STEP 3 – Grill or BBQ the asparagus

  1. Heat your barbecue or grill pan on high this will ensure that you get a nice char on the outside.
  2.  Place your asparagus perpendicular to the grate so that they don’t fall through and make sure that the thickest part of the asparagus is placed towards the hottest part of the grill. 
  3. Cook for approximately 3-4 minutes, turning regularly until it is charred and cooked through. 
  4. For tender crisp asparagus, grill for 3 to 5 minutes. For a more tender asparagus, grill for 10 minutes. Keep in mind that the thicker your spear the longer they will take to cook. Make sure that you turn them often so that they brown on all sides. 
  5. Remove from the grill when done and allow to cool slightly then cut your asparagus into 3cm (1 inch) batons..
  • 02-ASPARAGUS-ON-BBQ
    PLACE YOUR SPEARS ON BBQ
  • 03-GRILLED-ASPARAGUS-ON-BBQ
    GRILL FOR 3-4 MINUTES
  • 04-CHOP INTO 1 INCH PIECES
    CUT INTO BATONS
  • JUST A WHITE PAGE

STEP 4 – Assemble your salad

  1. Place all vinaigrette ingredients in a glass jar and shake until emulsified.
  2. Add all the cooked asparagus and crispy pancetta to a medium to a large mixing bowl, either pour the dressing over salad, season with salt and pepper and toss until the asparagus is well coated with the dressing or serve the mustard vinaigrette on the side as we have done.
  3. Arrange your mustard vinaigrette with asparagus & pancetta salad in a salad platter and serve.
CLOSE UP OF MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE
CLOSE UP OF ASPARAGUS AND PANCETTA

What to serve with this salad

An elegant salad that can be served at your next dinner party alongside a herb-crusted roast chicken or even a rack of lamb.

This salad travels well so it would be good to take to a barbecue or pack it for your next picnic.

Try some more Asparagus salads…

  • BLANCHED ASPARAGUS AND FETA SALAD
    BLANCHED ASPARAGUS AND FETA
  • BBQ-ASPARAGUS-WITH-WALNUT-ROSEMARY-CRUMBLE
    BBQ ASPARAGUS
WARM ASPARAGUS SALAD

Mustard Vinaigrette for Asparagus & Pancetta Salad

This mustard vinaigrette recipe is both tart and creamy, not only sensational with char-grilled asparagus but just perfect served with so much more.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
* Times are an estimate and will depend on your skill level
Course: Salad
Cuisine: French
Keyword: Intermediate
Servings: 4
Calories: 709kcal
Equipment
  • Barbecue
  • or Char-grill pan
Ingredients
For the salad…
  • 500 grams flat pancetta*
  • 500 grams asparagus (approximately 4 small bunches)
  • 3 tbsps Olive oil (extra virgin)
  • Sea salt and cracked black pepper
For the vinaigrette…
  • 2 tbsps olive oil
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsps fresh thyme chopped
Metric – Imperial
Instructions
  • Place a heavy based pan on high heat to warm, dice your pancetta into a small dice. Then add a tablespoon of oil and your diced pancetta to the hot pan. Fry until crisp and golden brown. Reserve the pancetta oil.
  • Heat your barbecue or a char-grill pan until hot.
  • Wash and trim your asparagus, place in a square pan and add the reserved pancetta oil, season and toss to coat.
  • Add your asparagus spears to your hot BBQ or grill-pan and grill until golden brown (For tender crisp asparagus, grill for 3 to 5 minutes. For a more tender asparagus, grill for 10 minutes).
  • Remove from the grill when done and allow to cool slightly then cut your asparagus into 5cm batons.
  • Place all vinaigrette ingredients in a glass jar and shake until emulsified.
  • Add all the cooked asparagus and crispy pancetta to a medium to a large mixing bowl, pour the dressing over salad, season with salt and pepper and toss until the asparagus is well coated with the dressing. Or serve on the mustard vinaigrette on the side as we have done.
  • Arrange your mustard vinaigrette salad in a salad platter and serve.

Notes

*You should be able to find flat pancetta at your local delicatesen or you may substitute with speck or bacon pieces. 
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
Calories: 709kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 67g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 845mg | Potassium: 537mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1158IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @salads_with_anastasia or tag #salads_with_anastasia!
PINTEREST MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE

Share5
Pin9
Tweet
Share

About Anastasia

Anastasia is a home cook introduced to cooking at a young age (8 years old) and hasn’t gotten out of the kitchen since! She had her own coffee shop and ran her own catering business for over a decade. Her love of salads developed as she was always the one responsible for making the salads for family get-togethers and friends functions.

Previous Post: « Versatile Tomato Feta Salad
Next Post: Oven-Roasted Asparagus & Tarragon Salad »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Looking for a recipe?

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Search in posts
Search in pages

More results...

Welcome

ANASTASIA FROM SALADS WITH ANASTASIA

Hi, I’m Anastasia,
Let me show you how to transform your salads from boring and limp to bright, fresh and exciting using in season fresh produce.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

10 Minute Salads

Dinner Salads

CURRY CHICKEN SALAD FEATURED IMAGE
Browse my top categories using Recipe Key
    Gluten FreeDairy FreeLow CarbVegetarian

Salad Tools & Books

  • Salad Books
  • Mandoline Slicers
  • Salad Spinners
  • Small Food Processors
  • Spiralizers
  • How to…

Terms & Policies

  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Policy
  • Site Credits
  • Site Map
  • Contact Me
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Policy
  • Site Credits
  • Site Map
  • Contact Me

Copyright © 2021 · Salads with Anastasia · All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsOKAY
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.