Name: Charred Red Pepper and White Bean Salad
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil , divided; 1½ tablespoons lemon juice; 1 teaspoon table salt , divided; ½ teaspoon smoked paprika; ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans , rinsed; 3 red bell peppers , stemmed, seeded, and cut into rough 2- by ½-inch strips; 1½ ounces prosciutto (3 slices), torn into bite-size pieces; 1 ounce Pecorino Romano cheese , shaved; ¼ cup whole almonds , toasted and chopped; ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Why This Recipe Works

When red bell peppers are charred, they turn both sweet and intriguingly bitter while taking on a soft, almost velvety texture. We wanted to build a bold salad with these peppers as the base. Cutting peppers into strips and cooking them in a hot skillet, stirring only once every 2 minutes, allowed the peppers to develop dark, blistered spots. A bold dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and smoked paprika gave a deep background of flavor. Canned white beans were an easy choice to add bulk. Shaved Pecorino Romano cheese and hand-torn shreds of prosciutto added richness, salinity, and depth. Toasted almonds provided a nice contrasting crunch, and some chopped parsley finished the salad with freshness.

Before You Begin

Look for medium red bell peppers, each weighing 7 to 8 ounces. Shave the Pecorino with a vegetable peeler.

Instructions

Whisk ¼ cup oil, lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt, paprika, and cayenne together in large bowl. Add beans and toss to combine.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add bell peppers and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring once every 2 minutes, until tender and deep spotty brown, about 8 minutes.

Transfer bell peppers to bowl with bean mixture and toss to combine. Let sit for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld. (Bean mixture can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

Just before serving, add prosciutto, Pecorino, almonds, and parsley to bean mixture and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.