Antipasto Salad with Bocconcini and Green-Olive Tapenade

• Recipe by Nancy Silverton

This no-cook salad from Los Angeles chef Nancy Silverton, inspired by the antipasto in Italian-American restaurants, is a delicious toss of iceberg lettuce, mozzarella, salami and olives in an oregano-laced dressing.

Ingredients

1. 3 tablespoons green-olive tapenade from a jar
2. 1/4 cup peperoncini—stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
3. 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4. 1 1/2 cups bocconcini (about 9 ounces)
5. 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
6. 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
7. 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced garlic
8. 1 teaspoon dried oregano
9. Salt and freshly ground pepper
10. 1 small head of iceberg lettuce, halved, cored and finely shredded (4 cups)
11. 6 ounces thinly sliced Genoa salami, cut into thin strips (1 1/2 cups)
12. 6 small basil leaves
13. 1/2 cup green olives, such as Lucques or Picholine

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix the green-olive tapenade with the peperoncini and 1/4 cup of the oil. Add the bocconcini and toss.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice with the vinegar, garlic and oregano. Whisk in the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil and season the dressing with salt and pepper.
3. In a large bowl, combine the shredded lettuce and salami. Add the marinated bocconcini and half of the dressing and toss well. Transfer the antipasto salad to a large platter. Top with the basil and olives. Drizzle the remaining dressing around the salad and serve at once.

Make Ahead

The recipe can be prepared through Step 2 and refrigerated overnight.