Marzetti Roasted Pear Salad - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans
4 ounces blue cheese
1/4 cup dried cherries
3 firm pears
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
8 ounces butter lettuce
1 cup divided marzetti light balsamic vinaigrette dressing
drizzle marzetti chunky blue cheese dressing

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
DRESSING: Mix 3/4 cup Marzetti(R) Light Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing and sugar in a sauce pan. Cook over low heat just until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
STUFFING: Place pecans in a skillet: toast over medium heat (watch carefully as they burn easily). Set aside. Mix cherries with toasted pecans and blue cheese and set aside.
PEARS: Slice pears in half lengthwise, remove cores from pears to create a hole for filling. Trim a slice from bottom of each pear half to allow them to sit upright in the baking dish. Place pears-- hole side up--in a baking dish and sprinkle with lemon juice. Spoon filling into center of pears. Sprinkle 1 tablespoons of Marzetti(R) Light Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing over each pear and pour remaining dressing around pears. Bake uncovered until tender, (about 30 minutes); basting 3 or 4 times during baking time. To assemble: clean and tear lettuce into bite size pieces and toss with remaining Marzetti(R) Light Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing. Arrange lettuce on salad plates; place a pear in center of each plate, spoon pan drippings over top of each pear. Drizzle desired amount of Marzetti(R) Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing over each salad.
Tips: Marzetti suggests also trying this recipe with Marzetti(R) White Balsamic Vinaigrette!