Arugula Salad with Pears, Prosciutto and Parmesan

Serves

Baby arugula's clean, slightly peppery flavor is terrific with mixed greens, but it really shines as a great salad base on its own, especially if you're adding sweet and salty ingredients to the combo.

Here we've combined wedges of juicy pears with ribbons of crispy prosciutto, adding a garnish of shaved Parmesan for a nutty note. Broiling the prosciutto is an optional step, but we like the effect (and the flavor)! Our basil vinaigrette makes a nice, simple dressing with this salad, but feel free to substitute your favorite.

Ingredients

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1 1/2 tablespoons golden balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup almond oil (or mild extra-virgin olive oil)
  Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
5 ounces Earthbound Farm Organic Baby Arugula
2 firm but ripe Earthbound Farm Organic Pears, such as Barlett or D'Anjou
1 ounce Parmesan cheese (shaved into thin ribbons)

Directions

To make the vinaigrette, place the basil and vinegar in a small food processor or blender and pulse to chop roughly. With the machine running, add the oil in a thin, steady stream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside at room temperature.

Position a rack about 7 inches below your broiler and preheat on high. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat liner and set aside.

Neatly stack the slices of prosciutto on top of each other. With a sharp knife, cut the slices crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Separate the prosciutto ribbons with your fingers as best you can and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet, arranging them in a single layer. Broil until the prosciutto is just crisp and lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes, watching closely to make sure it doesn’t burn. Let cool.

Place the arugula in a large bowl and toss with the dressing to taste. Divide the greens among 6 plates. Cut the unpeeled pears into thin wedges and arrange 5 or 6 slices decoratively on top of each salad. Scatter the prosciutto ribbons on top of the arugula, and garnish each serving with shaved Parmesan. Serve immediately.