Ingredients

Servings 4

• 3 ½ oz Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, sliced
• 2 pears
• 1 head lettuce
• 10 black olives
• 1 bell pepper
• 30 walnuts
• lemon juice
• 6 tablespoons Academia Barilla 100% Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• salt
• black pepper, freshly ground

Preparation

20 minutes preparation

Wash and peel the pear, then cut into small cubes. Roughly chop the walnuts and pit the olives.

Wash the pepper and remove the seeds and white part inside. Slice thinly.

Wash the lettuce and remove the outer leaves. Dry and roughly chop.

In a bowl, whisk together lemon juice, salt, oil and a grinding of pepper.

Place the vegetables, nuts, pears and sliced Parmigiano in a salad bowl, and toss with the salad dressing.

Food History

Pears and cheese have been paired together for years in Italy. Centuries ago, Petrarch wrote:
“addio: l’è sera,
or su vengan le pera,
il cascio e ‘l vin di Creti”

“good bye: the evening has come,
now they will bring the pears,
the cheese and the red wine of Crete.”

This pairing actually was based on the medical principles of the time, which suggested that one finish every meal with an astringent food like pears and cheese. But the tie that bonds the two is more than simple medical advice: this pair represents the coming together of farmers with the noble class. Cheese has always been a symbol of humble, pastors and eaten by country folk as a main source of protein. During times when the church forbid its people to eat meat, nobles would pair cheese with pears, which were an expensive luxury at the time. Pears were valued for their sweetness and were hard to store, making them even more precious.

Other suggested recipes

• Parmigiano Reggiano Mousse with Pears and Red Wine
• Risotto with Gorgonzola and Fresh Pear Sauce
• Ticino Style "Tramezzino"