Photo copyright © 2001 by John A. Rizzo With all the cooking you’ll be doing, save yourself some time and buy the packaged, pre-washed and trimmed baby spinach. The greens stay fresh for several days in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
- 8 cups lightly packed baby spinach leaves, stemmed, rinsed, and dried
- 2 Bosc pears (do not peel), quartered lengthwise, cored and cut into long, thin slices
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) coarsely grated Parmesan cheese (see Cook’s Note)
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1
Place the spinach and pears in a large serving bowl. Scatter the cheese on top.
- 2
To make the dressing: In a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. Cover tightly and shake vigorously to blend the ingredients. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
- 3
When ready to serve, give the dressing a last-minute shake and pour over the salad. Toss gently to keep the pear slices intact, and serve immediately. Serves 8.
How to make it
Cook’s Note
I prefer the taste of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and recommend using it for this salad. To coarsely grate the cheese, use either the coarse side of a box grater or the medium shredding disk of a food processor.
Excerpted from The Thanksgiving Table: Recipes and Ideas to Create Your Own Holiday Tradition by Diane Morgan. Text copyright © 2001 by Diane Morgan. Photos copyright © 2001 by John A. Rizzo.
