Roasted Pear and Arugula Salad with Toasted Walnuts

I was in the park the other day, chatting with a few of my neighbors while our dogs played, and we all said how we felt this was a long summer. Maybe due to life events, maybe because it was such a hot one but either way, we were trying to decide if we were happy to see it end. We're not looking forward to snow and early sunsets but we're still a few months away from that. For now, we're kind of looking forward to the slight cool down of September and the energy the city gets after Labor Day.

With that in mind, we thought about how fun it would be to do a "goodbye to summer" get-together and decided to prepare a combination of homemade and prepared foods so that nobody had to work too hard. Luckily, Nestle's Balance Your Plate offers a range of recipes and tips that help you put together delicious and nutritious meals that help you incorporate both frozen and fresh foods. And what's a more popular party combo than pizza and salad?

As you probably already know, New Yorkers have a fondness for thin crust and, thankfully, DiGiorno makes an amazing thin crust called DiGiorno Pizzaria! Margherita that's made with real fresh ingredients like the thin, preservative-free crust that's drizzled with extra virgin olive oil for a hint of flavor and then topped with a sauce made from scratch using vine ripened-tomatoes and flavored with basil, thyme and oregano. Out of the oven, hot and perfect, in about 15 minutes which is actually way less time than getting a pizzeria delivery.

Paired with a delicious salad like my arugula and roasted pear salad with toasted walnuts, this perfect pairing shows that you don't have to compromise flavor for nutrition when turning to convenient options that fit your busy lifestyle.

Yield: 4 Servings

Author: Anita Schecter

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Roasted Pear and Arugula Salad with Toasted Walnuts

Prep time: 15 MCook time: 15 MTotal time: 30 M

Recipe for a salad of peppery arugula, roasted pears and toasted walnuts with a honey vinaigrette.

Ingredients:

For the Dressing:

• 1/4 Cup olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 1 Teaspoon mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the Salad:

• 4 Cups arugula
• 2 Pears
• 1/2 Cup chopped walnuts

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Slice the pears vertically and scoop out the seeds with a spoon or melon baller. Spread the walnut halves on one side of the baking sheet and layer the pear slices on the other. Place in the oven for about 5 minutes, toss the nuts and flip the pears. Continue roasting for an additional 5 minutes.
3. Make the dressing by whisking together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey and mustard until fully combined. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Assemble the salad by adding the arugula to a large bowl or platter. Top with the roasted pear slices, sprinkle on the walnuts and drizzle with the dressing.

Created using The Recipes Generator

This recipe is sponsored by Nestle Balance Your Plate. Thank you for supporting the products I love and use in my kitchen.