Arugula Salad with Blue Cheese and a Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

Dinner last night was Ravioli Carbonara with browned butter and sage and a great Arugula Salad with Blue Cheese and warm Bacon Vinaigrette. The Ravioli came from Trader Joes (fresh) and then I browned some butter and threw in some fresh sage leaves until they crisped. I wanted to put fresh figs on the salad but after visiting 4 stores I gave up.
                                   
                        Arugula Salad with Blue Cheese and Warm Vinaigrette

2 slices thick-cut Smoked Bacon
1 Shallot peeled and thinly sliced
4 tsp. Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 tsp. Dijon Mustard
Sea Salt and fresh cracked Black Pepper
1 large bunch Baby Arugula
4oz. Smoked Blue Cheese
1 pint fresh Figs

Cook bacon until crispy, remove from  pan and set aside. Pour off most of the bacon fat and reserve it for later. Leave a small amount of bacon fat in the pan. Add sliced shallots to the pan and quickly cook over medium heat until soft.

Remove pan from heat and add the vinegar to the shallot mixture. Whisk well. Put mixture in a small bowl and add the mustard. Combine well.

Put 3-4 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat back into the pan and heat over medium heat. When fat is hot, carefully and vigorously whisk in the shallot mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

Toss together the arugula, the bacon (cut into slices) the blue cheese and the figs. Drizzle the bacon vinaigrette over the salad and serve.

Cooking the Ravioli with this really cool scoop my friend Sharon brought me from Europe.

The meal.