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1
Place the onion slices in a small bowl of ice water and set them aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients for the salad.
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2
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 325F.
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3
Scatter the walnut halves on a baking sheet and toast them for 10 to 12 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally for even toasting, until theyre lightly browned and fragrant.
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4
Remove the walnuts from the oven and set them aside to cool to room temperature.
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5
Transfer the walnuts to a small bowl, drizzle with the walnut oil, sprinkle with salt, and toss to coat the nuts with the seasonings.
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6
Drain the onion, pat dry with paper towels, and place it in a medium bowl.
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7
Add the squash, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette, season with salt, and toss to coat the vegetables with the seasonings.
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8
Add the grated pecorino romano and toss gently to distribute the cheese.
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9
Taste for seasoning and add more vinaigrette or salt, if desired.
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10
Discard any brown or unappealing outer leaves from the lettuce heads.
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11
Pull the leaves away from the cores, putting them in a large, wide bowl, and discard the cores.
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12
Season the lettuce with salt and toss gently to distribute the salt evenly.
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13
Drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup of vinaigrette over the lettuce and toss, gently massaging the vinaigrette into the leaves.
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14
Taste for seasoning and add more vinaigrette or salt, if desired.
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15
Building the salads in three layers, place three of the largest lettuce leaves in the center of each of four plates like a triangle.
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16
Scatter one-third of the squash and onions on the leaves, dividing them evenly.
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17
Lay two onion rings and scatter several walnut halves on each salad.
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18
Build two more layers the same as the first, using the medium leaves for the second layers and reserving the smallest leaves for the top layers.
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19
Grate fresh pecorino romano and coarsely grind black pepper over each salad.
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20
Scatter the remaining walnuts around the salads, dividing them evenly, drizzle about a teaspoon of vinaigrette around each salad, and serve.
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21
Friulano (Friuli)
