A lovely first-course salad. Pears contribute sweetness to the dish; the Italian bacon called pancetta adds a nice salty crunch.
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 10
Ingredients
1 cup diced pancetta or bacon (about 5 ounces)
1/4 cup minced shallots
3 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 10-ounce packages ready-to-use spinach leaves
2 Asian pears or Bosc pears, halved, cored, thinly sliced
1 medium-size red onion, thinly sliced
1 head radicchio, separated into leaves
Preparation
Step 1
Sauté pancetta in nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 6 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Pour drippings in skillet into bowl. Add shallots, vinegar, mustard and thyme; whisk to blend. Add oil; whisk to blend. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before continuing.)
Step 2
Combine spinach, pears, red onion and pancetta in large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Surround salad with radicchio leaves and serve.
