Fashion sweeps through restaurants in Italy as quickly and thoroughly as in all other aspects of life there. A few years ago, arugula, pear, and pecorino salad turned up everywhere. I tried basil in place of arugula and loved the still pungent yet milder flavor. I start making this pear, basil, and pecorino Toscano salad in the early fall with little juicy pears and aromatic end-of-the-season basil from the farmers’ market. Later, as the first frost creeps down through the Hudson Valley and the basil disappears, I substitute thinly sliced hearts of celery and whole celery leaves (the celery is also wonderful along with the basil).
You can make this pear salad with many different cheeses; each one will change the flavor slightly. Look for a cheese that will keep its shape in a salad, such as an aged cheddar, Parmigiano-Reggiano, or a crumbly blue.–Sara Jenkins
Pear, Basil, and Pecorino Toscano Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 ounces pecorino Toscano cheese
- 4 ripe Bosc pears, cored and cut into eighths
- 1 cup packed basil leaves
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Vin Santo vinegar or other high-quality mild white wine vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon fleur de sel or other medium-coarse sea salt, or more to taste
- Coarsely ground black pepper
Directions
- 1. Using the tip of a sharp paring knife, break cheese into irregular chunks about 1/2-inch in size.
- 2. Place cheese, pear slices, basil leaves, oil, vinegar, and salt in a large bowl and toss to combine. Season with pepper and more salt if needed.
- 3. Serve at once.
Hungry for more? Chow down on these:
Hey, there. Just a reminder that all our content is copyright protected. Like a photo? Please don't use it without our written permission. Like a recipe? Kindly contact the publisher listed above for permission before you post it (that's what we did) and rewrite it in your own words. That's the law, kids. And don't forget to link back to this page, where you found it. Thanks!