17 August 2026
Pear and Prosciutto Salad with Rocket, Parmesan and Toasted Walnuts.
Dave Moorkens— Stacked Farm Chef
Pear and Prosciutto Salad with Rocket, Parmesan and Toasted Walnuts.
Serves 2 · Ready in 10 minutes · No cooking
Some salads are a base with things on top. This one isn't, because the rocket is the loudest thing on the plate and everything else is arranged around its pepperiness. Sweet pear, salty prosciutto, nutty parmesan and a bit of crunch from the walnuts, all of it pulling against that bite.
There's no cooking involved, which makes it the salad to put out when people are already at the table.
Chef's tip on pear selection — Get one that's ripe but still firm. A soft pear turns to mush the second you slice it and you'll never get it thin enough, so press it gently at the neck and if it gives at all, it's too far gone for this. Slice it last, right before you build the plate, and it won't have time to brown on you.
Dave Moorkens — Stacked Farm Chef
Ingredients
- 60g Stacked Farm Rocket
- 1 pear, thinly sliced
- 4 slices prosciutto
- 30g parmesan, shaved
- 20g walnuts, toasted
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic glaze
Method
- Arrange the rocket loosely on a plate, then lay the pear slices through it and tear the prosciutto over the top.
- Scatter over the shaved parmesan and the toasted walnuts.
- Drizzle with the olive oil and the balsamic glaze, and take it to the table straight away.
Chef's tip: Don't toss this like a normal salad. Rocket is delicate, and the moment it's dressed and tossed it starts to collapse, so build it in layers, dress it right at the end and carry it straight out. If you have extra time, you can reduce your own balsamic glaze too, but a bit lengthy for a weeknight.
Dave Moorkens — Stacked Farm Chef
Why it works
Peppery, sweet, salty, and a bit of bitterness from the walnuts, with the balsamic tying it together. That's four of the five tastes on one plate, and none of them is doing the same job as another. It's also why the dish falls apart if you swap the rocket for something mild, because without the pepper the pear and the glaze make it far too sweet.
Make it yours
Leave out the prosciutto and add a few more walnuts, or some crisp chickpeas, and it holds up perfectly well as a vegetarian plate. Figs are a lovely swap for pear when they're in season, and shaved fennel works if you want it sharper.
Peppery, not bruised
Rocket is a delicate leaf, and a lot of what happens to it between the farm and your fridge is the reason it arrives limp. Ours is grown indoors without pesticides and never washed, so it reaches you clean, dry and in one piece, with its pepperiness still intact. Straight from the pack onto the plate, which is exactly how a salad like this should be built.
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FAQs
Any pear that's ripe but still firm to the touch. A soft, juicy pear will tear and go to mush as you slice it. Beurre Bosc and Packham both hold their shape well.
Slice it last, right before you build the plate, or brush the slices with a little lemon juice if you need to get ahead.
Not this one. Rocket wilts quickly once it's dressed, so build the salad in layers, dress it at the last moment, and serve it straight away.
Yes. Add a few extra walnuts or some crisp chickpeas for the salt and texture the prosciutto was providing. Note that parmesan is traditionally made with animal rennet, so use a vegetarian hard cheese if that matters to you.
You can, by simmering balsamic vinegar until it thickens, but a good quality store-bought glaze does the same job in no time at all.
About 60g, which is one standard pack.
No. Stacked Farm rocket is grown indoors without pesticides and never washed, so it's ready to eat straight from the pack.