Appetizers/ Fruit/ Salad/ Vegetables

Pear Pancetta Salad

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Something about the combination of the words “pear” with “pancetta” just sounds absolutely lovely.  Typically served with sweet honeys and dark chocolates, pears are the less-crisp cousins of fall apples with milder tones of sweetness.  Yet their soft and juicy texture makes me absolutely love them, and I cannot think of a better way to bring an unimaginative bed of spinach to life than with this ripe fruit.For today’s recipe, I have steered away from the traditionally sweet methods of preparing cold weather pears for a saltier variation that highlights the natural sugars of the fruit itself.  Served on a bed of spinach, pears cozy up nicely with salty Italian bacon meats like Pancetta for an easy salad with instant sophistication.

Use pre-cubed fried Pancetta to add crispy texture and instant flavor to any winter salad.  Served over a bed of ripe pears, spinach, and a sprinkling of balsamic vinegar, Pancetta upgrades any salad with just the right amount of salt.  “Pear” and “pancetta” have never sounded lovelier.

Pear Pancetta Salad

The combination of ripe Asian pears with good-quality pancetta makes a chic salad in under five minutes.  Don’t have Pancetta? Try a slice or two of crisped bacon for an introduction into this sweet and salty blend.

Ingredients:

*2 cups spinach, packed

*1 Asian pear, cored and cut into slices

*1 oz. pancetta, fried and crisped

*2 tablespoons Parmesan

*3 tablespoons Cinnamon Pear Balsamic Vinegar from Fioré

1.) Wash 2 cups spinach and plate.  Using a sharp paring knife, cut a ripe Asian pear in half, core, and cut fruit into slices.  Plate slices on top of spinach bed.

2.) In a small non-stick skillet over medium heat, crisp up pancetta until crispy.  Sprinkle pancetta over spinach and pears making sure to use any excess fat rendered during the frying process to dress the spinach (this technique is referred to as “wilting” a salad).

3.) Sprinkle salad with parmesan and balsamic vinegar (my favorite being the Cinnamon Pear Balsamic Vinegar from Fioré).  Serve and enjoy! Makes 1 serving.
Pancetta

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Pear Pancetta Salad, 5.0 out of 5 based on 1 rating
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February 12, 2012 By
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About

—– Dr. Helana E. Brigman is the creator of the award-winning blog Clearly Delicious and author of The Fresh Table: Cooking in Louisiana All Year Round. Her work has appeared in Serious Eats, Louisiana Cookin’ Magazine, and The Advocate.

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