Brussels sprouts aren't the first ingredient anybody thinks of when they think of Italian food, but this salad takes a basic equation from the Italian kitchen—fresh vegetables, olive oil, and a little bit of Italian cheese—and makes the sprouts work in the context of the cuisine. It's also a healthier, fresher salad for the winter months.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4

　　2 pints Brussels sprouts

　　1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

　　1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

　　1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

　　1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

　　1 cup crumbled Castelrosso cheese (about 4 ounces)

　　Black pepper

　　

Step 1

1. Discard any dark or limp leaves from the Brussels sprouts and trim off their bottoms. Cut the sprouts in half through the core and then slice them crosswise, taking time to slice them as thin as possible. We call them "shaved" raw Brussels sprouts, which says how thin we like them, so make sure you use a sharp knife.

　　

Step 2

2. Transfer the Brussels sprouts to a mixing bowl. (You can shave the Brussels sprouts up to a couple of hours in advance and keep them covered in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve them.)

　　

Step 3

3. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and white pepper in a large, wide mixing bowl. Add the shredded Brussels sprouts to the bowl by the handful, tossing all the while. Once you've dressed the sprouts, portion them out into salad bowls, top each salad with 1/4 cup of the crumbled cheese, and serve. Offer black pepper from the grinder at the table.

　　Excerpted from The Frankies Spuntino Kitchen Companion & Cooking Manual by Frank Falcinelli, Frank Castronovo, Peter Meehan. Copyright © 2010 by Frank Falcinelli, Frank Castronovo, Peter Meehan. Published by Artisan Books, a division of Workman Publishing Company, Inc.