The backbone of this tasty dish is the salty-sweet richness of the prosciutto. Its buttery texture pairs beautifully with the perkiness of the arugula and honeyed personality of pears. If you want to make it look fancier, put the mayonnaise mixture in a squeeze bottle and drizzle it over the prosciutto.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

11/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

11/2 teaspoons white or golden balsamic vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pinch freshly ground black pepper

11/2 pears (ripe but not mushy); see cook’s notes

12 very thin slices prosciutto (about 6 ounces)

2 cups arugula

Cook’s notes: If you like, substitute 1/2 Asian pear. They are alluringly crisp.

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise, mustard and cloves; set aside

In a medium bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper, whisking to dissolve the salt. Core one pear and cut into 3/8-inch dice; add to oil-vinegar mixture and toss.

Arrange prosciutto slices on 4 to 6 salad plates. Drizzle the mayonnaise mixture over top of prosciutto slices. Mound arugula on top. Stir the oil-vinegar-pear mixture and spoon over arugula. Core and slice remaining 1/2 pear and use as garnish. If desired, serve with a Vognier wine.

Source: “100 Perfect Pairings” by Jill Silverman Hough

Follow Cathy Thomas at CathyThomasCooks.com.