Marzetti Roasted Pear Salad

Submitted by nrpelham

"I like this pear salad b/c it doesn't use yogurt - uses vinaigrette instead! Source: www.marzetti.com"

 

• Ready In: 55mins
• Ingredients: 9
• Yields: 6 Pears
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• 1⁄3 cup brown sugar
• 1⁄4 cup chopped pecans
• 4 ounces blue cheese
• 1⁄4 cup dried cherries
• 3 firm pears
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 8 ounces butter lettuce
• 1 cup divided marzetti light balsamic vinaigrette dressing
• drizzle marzetti chunky blue cheese dressing

directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. DRESSING: Mix 3/4 cup Marzetti® Light Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing and sugar in a sauce pan. Cook over low heat just until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
3. STUFFING: Place pecans in a skillet: toast over medium heat (watch carefully as they burn easily). Set aside. Mix cherries with toasted pecans and blue cheese and set aside.
4. PEARS: Slice pears in half lengthwise, remove cores from pears to create a hole for filling. Trim a slice from bottom of each pear half to allow them to sit upright in the baking dish. Place pears-- hole side up--in a baking dish and sprinkle with lemon juice. Spoon filling into center of pears. Sprinkle 1 tablespoons of Marzetti® Light Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing over each pear and pour remaining dressing around pears. Bake uncovered until tender, (about 30 minutes); basting 3 or 4 times during baking time. To assemble: clean and tear lettuce into bite size pieces and toss with remaining Marzetti® Light Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing. Arrange lettuce on salad plates; place a pear in center of each plate, spoon pan drippings over top of each pear. Drizzle desired amount of Marzetti® Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing over each salad.
5. Tips: Marzetti suggests also trying this recipe with Marzetti® White Balsamic Vinaigrette!