This salad is a simple wintery mix of arugula, bosc pears, grapes and shaved pecorino sardo. The sardo is an aged sheep’s milk cheese that can actually be grated over pasta as well, but has a much more complex yet milder flavor than traditional pecorino romano. 

The dressing is lemon and olive oil with lots of cracked pepper. The winter arugula is strong and peppery and the pears and cheese really tame it.  The combination is so pleasant–especially if you have some juicy pears that have ripened for a few days.

I like to serve this salad after the main course as a palette cleanser and refresher before dessert (some people would say instead of dessert, but I would never say that!)

Arugula and Pear Salad with Pecorino

serves 4

2 medium bunches of arugula, Chopped coarsely, washed and dried

2 ripe juicy pears

small bunch of grapes

2 tlbs extra-virgin olive oil

juice of half a lemon

4 oz. pecorino sardo (or any aged pecorino)

salt and pepper to taste

Squeeze lemon and olive oil over arugula and pears, toss and taste for salt.   Scatter grapes over salad.

With a vegetable peeler, shave pecorino cheese over each plate and top with freshly ground black pepper.