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Roasted pear with blue cheese, cranberries and walnuts sitting on a bed of arugula on a plate.
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Roasted Pears with Cranberries, Blue Cheese and Walnuts

Roasted Pears with cranberries, blue cheese and walnuts served over a bed of fresh arugula is a simple yet impressive recipe.
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 283kcal
Author Ashley C.

Ingredients

  • 3 ripe D'Anjou pears peeled and sliced lengthwise into halves
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice divided
  • 3 ounces blue cheese crumbles
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup walnut halves toasted and chopped
  • 1/2 cup apple cider
  • 3 tablespoon port wine
  • 3 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 6 ounces baby arugula
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Using a paring knife and a melon baller, remove the core and seeds from each pear. Trim a small slice away from the rounded backside of each pear half so that they will sit in the baking dish without tipping over. Toss the pears with 1/4 cup lemon juice. Place pears, core side up, in baking dish that is just large enough to hold the pears snugly.
  • In a small bowl, combine the blue cheese, cranberries and walnuts; toss to combine. Divide the mixture evenly among the pears, mounding it on top of the indentation.
  • In the same small bowl, combine the cider, port, and brown sugar; stir to combine. Pour the mixture over and around the pears. Bake the pears for 30 minutes, or until tender. While baking, occasionally spoon some of the basting liquid over the pears. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
  • In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil, 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1/4 cup of the basting liquid. Add the arugula; toss well. Divide the arugula among 6 small plates and top each with a pear. Drizzle each pear with any excess basting liquid, sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.

Notes

  • We love D'Anjou pears the best for this recipe because their texture is great for baking, but you can use another type of pear. 
  • If you can't find port wine, you can use a sweet red wine instead, such as Merlot, Shiraz or Chianti.
  • You can omit the blue cheese or substitute it for feta or goat cheese.
Source: This recipe was slightly adapted from Back to Basics by Ina Garten

Nutrition

Serving: 6g | Calories: 283kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 210mg | Potassium: 321mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 805IU | Vitamin C: 16.1mg | Calcium: 138mg | Iron: 0.8mg