Salad with Scamorza Cheese and Grilled Vegetables

Here is the recipe for a fresh salad with scamorza cheese and grilled vegetables, ideal for a summer day or as a rich and flavorful side dish.

Ingredients

• 200 g of smoked scamorza cheese
• 1 zucchini
• 1 eggplant
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Fresh basil
• Balsamic vinegar (optional)

Preparation

1. Wash and cut the zucchini and eggplant into long slices about half a centimeter thick.
2. Wash and slice the bell peppers in half, removing seeds and the white inner parts.
3. Heat a grill and, once hot, place the vegetables on the grill without overlapping them.
4. Grill the vegetables on both sides until dark stripes form and they are tender but not falling apart.
5. Meanwhile, cut the smoked scamorza into slices or cubes, as you prefer.
6. Once grilled, let the vegetables cool slightly and roughly chop them.
7. In a large salad bowl, mix the grilled vegetables with the scamorza, and add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Dress with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and if you like, you can add a touch of balsamic vinegar for a sweet and sour note.
9. Decorate the salad with fresh basil leaves before serving.

This salad can also make a complete meal if served with toasted homemade bread. If you want to give it an even more Italian touch, you could sprinkle with a handful of toasted pine nuts or add some taggiasche olives.

Fun Fact

Smoked scamorza cheese gets its name from the process of “scamozzatura,” which is the detachment of the cheese head from the spun cheese mass. Its smoked variant acquires the distinctive flavor and amber color from the natural smoking process.