pernicano's perfect pizza pairing salad

So now you know my pizza secret, but you also know how much I love a single slice of pizza with the perfect salad.

And the salad of all salads to pair with pizza in my opinion, was the lettuce and tomato salad served up from pernicano’s pizza in la jolla. A longtime local staple, but the one pizza place I tolerated growing up (and mostly for this salad), sadly closed in 2019, so no more perfect pizza/salad pairings for me.

Until now.

I’ve have come as close as I possibly can to this super simple salad. The key is using fresh local heirloom tomatoes, head lettuce, a mild cheese, and the creamy italian salad dressing that pulls it all together.

Trust me.

Ingredients:

1 head lettuce, cored, out leaves removed, and chopped into approx 1 inch squares

3 heirloom tomatoes, sliced and halved

12 slices of white american cheese, cut into quarters

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

1 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1/8 cup mayo

1 tsp granulated garlic

1 tsp onion powder

1/3 cup avocado oil

Directions:

In a medium sized bowl combine all ingredients except for oil, lettuce, tomatoes and cheese. Using a fork to whisk, slowly pour in avocado oil until dressing is thoroughly combined.

Plate each salad with a layer of lettuce, topped with sliced tomatoes and cheese. Drizzle dressing over top.