Red Pear, Toasted Walnut, and Parmesan Salad
I love serving this pear salad with really good crusty farmhouse bread and a dry, pale cider. The bitterness of the arugula complements and highlights the sweetness of the pears, which blends with the nutty tones of the Parmigiano-Reggiano. The walnuts lend another bitter and toasty element. A touch of honey in the dressing ties it all together. If you like, sprinkle some organic dried cranberries on the salad for another texture.Pears do not ripen on the tree. If they did, they would ripen from the inside out and become mushy. In orchards, they’re often picked all at once, when the fruit comes off easily, and then put into storage. They should ripen nicely at room temperature. Firm-ripe pears will have the best flavor and texture for this salad.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon honey
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion or sweet white onion
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 medium-sized, just ripe red pears
- About 5 cups arugula
- ⅓ cup toasted coarsely chopped walnuts
- 2- ounce piece Parmigiano-Reggiano
Instructions
- In the bottom of a salad bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and honey with a fork. Add the red onion and season with pepper. Let stand 10 minutes or longer.
- To core pears as the pros do, halve them lengthwise and scoop out the cores with a melon baller. Make a little v-cut to remove the stem from the bottom ends, and, with a knife, lift out any of the long stem. Cut crosswise into slices.
- Add the arugula and toss to mix. Add the pears and walnuts and toss lightly. Taste, adding more salt, pepper, or vinegar, if desired. With a vegetable peeler, shave wide Parmesan curls over the top. Serve right away.
Notes
Photo by Miriam Rubin