This beautiful, healthy, composed pear salad is quick to make. It's good as a side dish to just about anything, but try it by itself as a light meal with a glass of cool, crisp white wine. Use pears that are tender but still a bit crisp. Makes 2 salads. (This salad is also good without the bacon if you're watching calories.)

Servings: 2 servings

Ingredients

6 slices bacon, diced
1-1/2 cups baby spinach, washed and dried
1 barely-ripe pear, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 tablespoon finely-chopped shallot
about 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup finely-chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup grated asiago cheese

Preparation

Fry the bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels and allow to cool completely.

On two salad plates, arrange the spinach. Arrange the pear slices over the spinach. Sprinkle the shallots and red pepper over the pears. Sprinkle each salad with about 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle the asiago cheese over the salads. Sprinkle the bacon over the cheese. Serve immediately.