Pear, walnut and rocket salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

Salad

Dressing

3 tbsp (45 mL) extra virgin olive oil, good quality, cold-pressed
1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh lemon juice
Aged balsamic vinegar (optional), a few drops per plate — traditionally aceto balsamico tradizionale, not the salad-dressing kind
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1 tsp honey (optional, especially with blue cheese)

Toast the walnuts: 8 minutes in a 160°C oven or a few minutes in a dry pan until fragrant. This is the one step Italians never skip — it removes bitterness. Cool completely.
Whisk the dressing: olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. That's it. A proper Italian salad dressing (condimento) is never emulsified into a sauce.
Slice the pears: lengthwise into thin wedges, core removed. Leave the skin on. Toss gently with a little lemon juice to prevent browning.
Assemble on a platter, not a bowl: greens first, then pear fanned over, walnuts scattered, cheese shaved generously on top.
Dress at the table, season with pepper, and add a few drops of aged balsamic around the edge of the plate if using.