I've never really been big on pears and I'm not sure why. I won't pick them out of something like a Martha's Vineyard salad, but I won't just snack on one as I would an apple. However, lately- and maybe its a pregnancy thing- whenever I see a recipe with pears, I've found them oddly appealing. Shopping the other day, a few made it into my basket with the mindset if I didn't enjoy them, Sage and Beckett would.
I figured I'd probably roast them and serve them in a salad, but the idea to pair them with butternut didn't come to me until I saw the pears and the squash sitting side by side in my fruit bowl. Gorgonzola and toasted walnuts seemed like an obvious compliment, as did a simple apple cider vinaigrette. This was one of those times where I knew this was either going to be amazing or totally not work out. Obviously, this was a winner. It was absolutely delicious, fairly quick to make and surprisingly filling. I'm definitely rethinking the pear thing.
Roasted Pear & Butternut Salad with Gorgonzola and Apple Cider Vinaigrette
serves 2
1 small (1 1/2 lb) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
2 firm Bosc pears, unpeeled, cored and cut into chunks the same size as the squash
1 tbsp olive oil, divided
kosher salt
1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted
1/3 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
salad greens of choice- I used baby spinach
for the dressing:
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp fesh lemon juice
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 425. Toss squash pieces with 2 tsp of olive oil and season with a pinch of salt. Spread in a single layer on one side of a baking sheet. Toss pears with the remaining tsp of olive oil and spread on other side. Roast, flipping squash and pears over during cooking. The pears will be ready at about 20 minutes. Remove them from baking sheet and continue roasting squash until tender, about 5 additional minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together the dressing ingredients and set aside.
Once squash and pears are roasted, toss with a small amount of dressing and let cool just slightly. Serve over a bed of greens, topped with half of the walnuts and cheese, and the remaining dressing on the side.
