I finally decided! I finally tried pears in red wine!

I was undecided because the kids don’t like red wine and my husband doesn’t like pears (but who understands these three, mah! 😅). But in the end, curiosity to try this famous recipe prevailed, which perhaps I was the only one who had never tasted before! And if any of the three tries to protest even a little… oh no dear ones, this is a pear recipe for Light and Tasty, no protests are allowed! 😁

Epilogue: the red wine did its job, my husband changed his mind and declared that pears in red wine are delicious. 😊 Ohhh but noooo what did you think… I only used the wine in the recipe, he didn’t drink a single drop! 😃😄

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If you’re looking for recipes with pears or red wine, here are 4 recipes for you! 👇

Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Affordable
Preparation time: 10 Minutes
Portions: 8
Cooking methods: Stovetop
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: All seasons

Ingredients

8 Williams pears (2.6 lbs weighed peeled)
2 cups red wine (I used a Nero d'Avola)
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
2 leaves bay leaves
lemon zest
orange zest (I used 4 slices of dried orange)
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon anise liqueur (I used sambuca)
lemon zest (from half a lemon)
orange zest (I used 8 slices of dried oranges)

Tools

Saucepan
Peeler
Strainer
Small Bowls

Steps

Peel the pears using a peeler.
Place the pears in a pot suitable for the pears used (they should stay upright, although they will tend to turn during cooking).
👉 When I cooked 4 pears I used a pot with a diameter of 6.3 in. For 8 pears one with a diameter of 9.45 in.
👉 To keep them upright, you can slightly level the base of the pears with a knife.
Pour the wine.
Add the spices.
☝ In the absence of orange (which I haven’t started buying yet this season) I used slices of dried orange.
Pour the sugar.
👉 If the pears are ripe and sweet, and also depending on the wine used, the amount of sugar can be adjusted to taste. I prefer them less sweet, while my son and husband like them very sweet (quote: “they must be sweet otherwise it’s not a dessert!” 😃).
Cook over low heat, the wine should simmer (for about 20 minutes if the pears are ripe, for 30-35 minutes if they are less ripe), until the pears are cooked (but not too much, they should be “al dente”).
👉 Besides the degree of ripeness, cooking time can also depend on the variety of pears.
When the pears are cooked, they can be:
– left to cool in the cooking liquid (resting in the wine will intensify the color of the pears) and then served naturally:
– or they can be made even more delicious – and this is the option I recommend you try – by syruping the wine and serving them drizzled with the syrup.
In this second case proceed as follows:
– remove the pears from the pot and place them in cups or small bowls (the same ones they will be served in),
– return the pot to the stove,
– add a small knob of butter (just half a teaspoon), it will make the reduction shinier,
– boil the remaining wine until a soft reduction is obtained (it will take about 10 minutes).
Let the syrup cool slightly and pour it over the pears filtering it through a strainer to remove the spices.
Pears in red wine are excellent as a dessert at the end of a meal. They are a delicious accompaniment to ice cream like cream, vanilla, or whipped cream.
The syrup has a delightful spiced taste and is great for flavoring not only ice creams but also fruit salads, cakes, or brioche bread.
The flavor of the pear remains delicate, without being altered or covered by the aroma of the spices.
Moreover, the red color makes the pears spectacular, suitable also for special occasions.
And… how about starting to think of a dessert idea for Christmas? 😉