Marzetti Roasted Pear Salad

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

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

Recipe

• 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® balsamic vinaigrette!