Description
A delightful and elegant dish featuring ripe pears roasted with honey until tender, then topped with crumbled blue cheese and toasted walnuts. Perfect as a starter or a light dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crust:
- 4 ripe but firm Bosc or Anjou pears, halved and cored
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (such as Gorgonzola or Roquefort)
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (optional)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Prepare the Crust:
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
- In a small bowl, mix together the honey and melted butter. Brush the cut sides of the pear halves with this mixture.
- Place the pear halves cut side up on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 20-25 minutes, or until the pears are tender and lightly caramelized.
- While the pears are roasting, toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, shaking frequently, until fragrant. Set aside.
- Remove the pears from the oven. Sprinkle the crumbled blue cheese and toasted walnuts over the top of each pear half.
- Return to the oven and roast for an additional 3-5 minutes, just until the cheese begins to melt.
- Remove from oven. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves (if using), and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
You can customize the seasonings to taste. For added sweetness, drizzle a little extra honey before serving. To make it a savory-sweet side, serve alongside roasted pork or chicken.