Warm Green Bean, Pancetta & Tomato Salad with Parmesan

Core the tomatoes, slice them in half horizontally, and flick out most of the seeds and juice with a fingertip. Then cut the tomatoes into 1-inch chunks and put them in a large serving bowl.

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and honey.

In a 10- or 12-inch sauté pan over medium heat, cook the pancetta in two or three batches until crisp and golden, 3 to 5 minutes per batch. Remove the pancetta from the pan, drain on paper towels, roughly chop, and keep warm. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pancetta. Add 5 tablespoons of the olive oil (or more if you didn’t get enough pancetta fat) for a total of 7 tablespoons fat in the pan. Set aside.

When you’re ready to serve, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the beans into the boiling water and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the beans and spread on paper towel to dry briefly. Put the warm beans in the bowl with the tomatoes and set it at the back of the stovetop to keep it warm. Put the pancetta in a warm oven for a few minutes while you finish the dressing.

Return the pan with the reserved pancetta fat and oil to medium heat. When the fat is warm, whisk in the vinegar-honey mixture, turn the heat to high and whisk until the mixture boils and emulsifies. Immediately pour the hot dressing over the vegetables in the bowl. Toss, season with salt and pepper, and add the chives. Sprinkle the chopped pancetta over the salad and scatter the cheese over the top; toss gently. Serve immediately.