Peppery Greens with Pears and Pecorino Cheese

The combination of the sweet pears and the saltiness of the aged cheese provides  you with a sensational pleasure to the palate.  Simple and yet so complex in flavors with only the finest ingredients. 

Prep time: 15 mins

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 firm pear

1 piece of aged Pecorino cheese (or Parmesan)

Prosciutto (curred ham from Parma) or dry Italian salami (optional)

Mixed peppery salad greens or Arugula greens

Good quality extra-virgin olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Take out the Pecorino cheese an hour before you make this salad, so it can breathe and come to the right aroma (cheese needs to breathe like wine).

Slice the pear in even slices (soak in lemon juice water or dip in Balsamic vinegar to avoid discoloration) and arrange on a plate with a bed of greens.  Next to every slice of pear, add an even slice of Pecorino cheese.  For a more substantial salad, you can add some slices of Prosciutto or salami in the middle.   

Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste just before serving.  Drizzle with a good quality extra-virgin olive oil and a splash of Balsamic vinegar.

Serve this salad on individual decorative, refrigerated plates.  Assemble at the last moment to guarantee freshness of all ingredients.