Asparagus Ribbon Salad with Crumbled Pancetta and Parmesan

Reinvent asparagus with an asparagus ribbon salad! Have you ever tried this before? When thinly sliced into ribbons, raw asparagus is tender and sweet. All you need is a vegetable peeler and you can make a tender asparagus ribbon salad in no time. I paired this no lettuce salad with savory flavors, like pancetta, parmesan cheese, and roasted corn, making this asparagus ribbon salad really hearty and satisfying.

The best part of this salad (besides the crumbled pancetta and parmesan, of course) is that it can be prepared ahead of time! Make this recipe the night before and throw it in the refrigerator - these hearty veggies won't wilt in the simple white wine vinaigrette dressing. Who doesn't love a healthy salad you can make ahead? So, make this salad for lunch, dinner, or for a friend!

Now let's get reacquainted with asparagus and make some ribbons! Learn my asparagus ribbon technique below.

Making ribbons out of asparagus is ridiculously easy! First, wash the asparagus and trim about half an inch from the asparagus stems. Holding the base of the asparagus, apply light pressure to the vegetable peeler and make long continuous slices from the asparagus base to the bushy tip. Soon, you will have a nice bed of slices for your asparagus ribbon salad! These thin asparagus ribbons remind me of tender noodles and add a lot of texture and heartiness to the salad recipe.

Some of our asparagus ribbon salad ingredients came from our recent trip to Tolmachoff Farms, where we picked baskets full of fresh summer vegetables. In the warm summer months, ears of corn and vine ripe tomatoes are at their peak ripeness and are full of fresh, vibrant flavor. Green stalky asparagus is harvested till the early summer months and add such beautiful contrasting colors and structure to the salad. And when you pair these glorious seasonal vegetables with equally heavenly ingredients, you get a savory summer asparagus ribbon salad! Sweet corn and cherry tomatoes with the salty, thinly sliced pancetta and freshly grated parmesan is truly something to savor.

Asparagus Ribbon Salad with Crumbled Pancetta and Parmesan

Pin Recipe

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

This fresh, no lettuce salad celebrates the flavors of summer with asparagus ribbons, sweet corn, and vine ripe tomatoes. The flavorful vegetables pair perfectly with savory crumbled pancetta and freshly grated parmesan. This asparagus ribbon salad is also great for making ahead and the hearty ingredients won't wilt in the simple white wine vinaigrette dressing.

• Author: Michele Sidorenkov, RDN
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 3 cups 1x
• Category: Salad
• Method: Chopping
• Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 0.5 ounce of pancetta
• ½ cup fresh corn kernels
• 7 medium asparagus spears, ends trimmed
• 6 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 tablespoon of freshly grated parmesan

For the vinaigrette:

• 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil
• ½ tablespoon of white wine vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon of granulated white sugar
• ¼ teaspoon of black pepper
• dash of salt

Instructions

1. In a skillet set to medium high heat, crisp the pancetta for 3-5 minutes. Once the pancetta is crispy (like bacon) remove from skillet, allow to cool, then chop into fine, crispy crumbles.
2. In the same hot pan you used for the pancetta, roast the corn kernels in the skillet, using the rendered fat from the pancetta to coat and oil the kernels in the pan. Cook the corn kernels for 10-12 minutes only stirring a few times to allow the kernels to brown. Set aside and allow to cool.
3. Prepare the asparagus ribbons by holding the base of the asparagus and using a vegetable peeler, apply light pressure and make long slices from base to tip. Repeat until all of the asparagus is made into ribbons.
4. Prepare the white wine vinaigrette by combining olive oil, white wine vinegar, sugar, black pepper, and salt together in a small bowl and mix with a whisk or fork until throughly combined.
5. In a medium sized bowl toss corn, asparagus ribbons, and quartered cherry tomatoes with the white wine vinaigrette until the vegetables are equally coated in the dressing. Sprinkle crumbled pancetta and freshly grated parmesan over the top and enjoy.

Notes

If the asparagus texture is fibrous and woody, peel the entire outside skin of the asparagus with your vegetable peeler before making ribbons.

This salad provides 2 full servings of vegetables.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1
• Calories: 380
• Sugar: 3 g
• Sodium: 410 mg
• Fat: 27 g
• Saturated Fat: 5 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 23 g
• Carbohydrates: 30 g
• Fiber: 6 g
• Protein: 11 g
• Cholesterol: 14 g

Keywords: Asparagus ribbon salad

What other ways are you enjoying asparagus this season? I love grilled or roasted asparagus with a little freshly grated parmesan and a drizzle of lemon juice. But it's hard to not love asparagus prepared any ways - especially in it's raw, sweet, and tender ribbon form.