Roasted Pear Salad

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup(s) brown sugar
• 1/4 cup(s) chopped pecans
• 4 ounce(s) blue cheese
• 1/4 cup(s) dried cherries
• 3 whole(s) firm pears
• 2 tablespoon(s) fresh lemon
• 8 ounce(s) butter lettuce
• 1 cup(s) divided Marzetti Light Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing
• Marzetti Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing to taste

Preparation

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 they burn easily). Set aside. Mix cherries with toasted pecans and blue cheese. Set aside.


4. PEARS: Slice pears in half lengthwise, remove cores from pears to create a hole for filling. Place pears--hole side up--in a baking dish and sprinkle with lemon juice. Spoon filling into center of pears. Sprinkle Marzetti Light Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing mixture over pears. Bake uncovered until tender (about 30 minutes) basting 3 or 4 times during baking time. To assemble; clean and tear lettuce in bite size pieces and toss with remaining 1/4 cups of 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.