Roasted Pear and Arugula Salad with Walnuts and Parmesan

Gay Gilmore's Note:

This is absolutely stunning as a first course. I have used other nuts and other cheeses and it always turns out lovely.

• Total Time: 40 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

Roasted Pears

• 4 firm pears (I favor Bartlett)
• 1 tablespoon butter , melted
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Salad dressing

• 1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Salad

• 7 cups arugula , washed dried and torn in bite-size pieces (or other salad greens)
• 4 ounces parmesan cheese
• 1 cup walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 500 F and put baking sheet in the oven to heat too.
2. Cut each pear lengthwise, remove the core, then set cut side down on a board and slice thinly into 5 pieces lengthwise again.
3. Toss pear with butter and sugar.
4. Place on baking sheet and in oven to roast for 10 min, or until browned on bottom.
5. Flip and roast until tender and deep brown, 5 more minutes.
6. Let pears cool.
7. Toast the walnuts in a small dry skillet until browned, 3 minutes and set aside.
8. Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper together.
9. Combine arugula and pears in large serving bowl, and gentley toss with the dressing.
10. Using a vegetable peeler, shave curls of Parmesan cheese on top of salad.
11. Chop walnuts coarsely and sprinkle on top.

Reviews

[Joanne Fraser]

My friend did this salad for me at a dinner she had. It was so fabulous I had to ask her for recipe. I made it again a few days later, and the family loved it. I lost the recipe at home and thanks to the net, I have it again! Definately a must do salad! I served it at the end of the meal. It was like serving a 'salad' and 'dessert' in one dish! If you do do this recipe, do add the shaved cheese. It's amazing!

[MimiKooks]

Couldn't roast the pears (ran out of butter!!), but I used nice ripe Bosc pears, chopped, and it worked very well. I thought the dressing was a bit bland, but the quick addition of the juice of half a lemon brightened it up. The salad was a very big hit - very flavorable and a little step up from the usual first course salad.

[Gramara]

Absolutely loved this. Pears took a little longer to roast but my husband and I chowed down on this. Will definitely use again - maybe throw some blue cheese in-hmmmmm!