The Ultimate Italian Salad

What happens when you mix your favorite Italian salads together and throw in Buffalo Italian Sausage...? You get the Ultimate Italian Salad! And, it's as beautiful as it is delicious. A perfect, complete meal for family and friends. *Although not as good, in a pinch, or for a super short cut, you could purchase the dressing and the croutons.

Author

Jill O’Brien

Ingredients

• 1 – egg, room temperature
• 2 – cloves garlic, about 1 Tablespoon
• 2 - teaspoons black pepper
• 2 – 2 oz. tins Anchovy Filets in oil
• ¼ - cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• ½ - cup shredded Parmigiano Reggiano, or high quality Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 - cup extra virgin olive oil
• ½ -baguette
• Olive oil
• 1 – teaspoon each; onion powder, garlic powder, salt
• ½ - teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 – pound Wild Idea Buffalo Italian Sausage
• 1 – head Romaine lettuce, washed, dried & chopped
• Caesar Dressing
• Croutons
• Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
• Cracked black pepper 
• 1 – pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 – pint fresh mozzarella balls, drained & halved
• ½ to 1 – cup fresh basil, julienned

Directions

1. For a creamier dressing, I coddle the egg first. Fill a coffee mug with water and bring to a boil in the microwave. Remove the cup from the microwave and gently drop in the room temperature egg. Coddle the egg in the hot water for 10 minutes. *The egg white should be slightly cloudy when you break it.
2. While egg is coddling, mix the garlic, pepper, 1 tin Anchovies, lemon juice, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil together in a blender and blend until well incorporated.
3. Add the coddled egg to the blender and blend until creamy.
4. Pause the blender and add the remaining tin of Anchovies. Flash, pulse process for only a second or two, to leave the anchovies in larger bits.
5. Season to taste. Transfer dressing to a mason jar and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
6. Slice the half baguette in half. Slice each half in half lengthwise, and then slice into strips or cubes.
7. Place the bread on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and dust with the seasonings. Toss to coat on the pan.
8. Bake at 450° until golden brown, about 5 to 10 minutes.
9. Remove the croutons from the oven, and set aside.
10. Roll the Italian Sausage into 16 to 24 meatballs. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 450° for about 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and rest for 5 minutes.
11. Place the romaine leaves into an edged serving platter. Pour on desired amount of the Caesar dressing, and toss to coat the leaves.
12. Add the croutons and additional parmesan if desired and toss again with a bit more of the dressing.
13. Top with halved tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, bison meatballs and fresh basil.