Summer Squash Salad with Avocado & Pine Nuts
a simple summer squash salad with avocado, toasted pine nuts, ricotta salata cheese, and fresh chives
servings: 4-6
Ingredients
Scale
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 1 ¼ lbs baby summer squash (zucchini, yellow sqash, etc.)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large lemon, juiced
- 2 small avocados
- 1 small block ricotta salata cheese
- fresh chives
- flaky sea salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
Instructions
- In a small sauté pan, add the pine nuts over low heat. Toast until golden and fragrant, stirring often (watch closely so they don’t burn). Transfer the pine nuts to a plate and let cool.
- Slice the ends off the baby squash. Using a mandolin, slice the squash into very thin rounds (adjust the settings until you get a piece of squash that is almost paper thin, but still holds it shape and has a nice bite). You want about 1 pound of sliced squash total.
- Combine the squash, olive oil, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Toss well and let sit for 10 minutes to marinate. Cut the avocados into chunks, add them to the bowl, and gently toss to combine.
- Spoon half of the salad out onto a large plate or platter. Season well with flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Spoon out the rest of the salad.
- Crumble the ricotta salata into small chunks and sprinkle over top. Cut the chives into ½” pieces (if thin) or chop the chives (if thick). Sprinkle the chives over top, along with the pine nuts.
- Drizzle more olive oil. Season again with flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.