Italian Desserts With Pears

Pair pears with cheese, fruit or both.

In Italy, pears are a common table fruit. The winter-harvested passacrassana is one of the most widely distributed during this season. It has a white, melting flesh, but turns grainy if you pick it too soon. It's also cultivated in France under the name passe-crassane, but it originated in the Rhone Valley and Italy. The majority of Italian pear desserts are simple, pairing the fruit with a wine stock or syrup or cheese, but more decadent creations feature the fruit as well.

Tarts and Cakes

In Italy, fresh fruit is a common dessert after a meal. Fruit-inspired tarts and cakes abound, and pears are no exception. The torta di pere, or pear tart, is slightly sweet, with the fresh flavor of pears in the forefront. The traditional version doesn't use butter and uses the zest of half a lemon for a tangy flavor. Long slices of firm pears are laid atop the cake rather than stirring them into the batter. Serve with ice cream to soothe your sweet tooth. Pears are also served with cream and almonds in a richer tart using peach brandy and preserves in the pastry dough and blanched almonds, butter and eggs for an almond cream filling.

Pear and Fruit or Wine

For casual meals, Italians leave out the eggs and flour and add simple ingredients to pears. The fruit may be braised in red wine sauce or a Marsala wine, whipped cream and bits of chocolate and lemon zest. The use of wine has many variations and may be a base for a liquid, syrup or even custard-style dessert. Pears can be served in even simpler form, as a slightly sweetened compote to spread on bread.

Mixing It Up

Pears are often coupled with other fruit and key ingredients, such as chocolate, in Italian desserts. The mild pear flavor provides a counter to chocolate's strong, sweet and bitter notes. The pears may alternate a layer with a rich chocolate cream in a pie. Other ingredients, like chestnut cream or hazelnuts, offer rich flavors for holiday desserts. The ingredients may also be paired with a thick cake or lighter bread for a creamy layered cake.

Pears and Cheese

Pears and cheese are a classic pair. In Italian cuisine, a dish of sliced pears and gorgonzola drizzled with honey, or served with cubed pecorino cheese and topped with freshly ground black pepper. Other cheeses, like asiago and Parmesan, may be paired with the fruit. Cheese may also be added to pies, tarts and cakes for a thick, custard texture. Ricotta adds a fluffy and slightly granular texture to desserts and is typically the type of cheese added to pear pies and tarts, but slices of harder cheeses are not uncommon.

References

• "A History of Food"; Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat;1994
• ifood TV: Italian Desserts Pear Recipes
• Martin's Fine Desserts: Italian Dessert Collection
• Food Network: Pear Tart Cake
• The Art of Cookery: Formagio Con Le Pere

Resources

• Pear and Almond Cream Tart