Pears And Pecorino Recipes

ROASTED PEARS WITH PECORINO CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Halve and peel the pears, and carefully remove the seeds and core.
• Melt the butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Arrange the pears, cut side down, in the skillet so they just touch one another. Sprinkle the sugar, over the pears and butter. Cook, tilting the pan back and forth gently from time to time, until the sugar dissolves and melts into a golden caramel, about 4 minutes. Scrape the vanilla seeds into the pan, and add the pod. Reduce the heat, add the brandy, and cook a few minutes more. Be aware that the brandy may ignite, but the flames will die down quickly.
• Carefully turn the pears over, and transfer to the oven. They should be deep golden brown. Roast until the pears are fork tender, about 10 minutes, depending on the ripeness and size of the pears. Serve with thick slices of pecorino and caramel sauce.

PEARS AND PECORINO

Steps:

• Slice cheese thinly, and divide among four plates. Place pears on top of cheese. Warm honey, and drizzle it over pears. Top with a grind of pepper.

PEAR AND PECORINO RAVIOLI WITH SAGE BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Place pears in large bowl. If too much liquid, drain through fine strainer. Mix in pecorino, mascarpone and egg yolk.
• Place 1 wonton wrapper on work surface. Place 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons mixture in middle of wrapper. Brush edges with water, and fold wrapper over. Press firmly to seal.
• Fill 4-quart saucepan two-thirds full of water. Add salt; heat to boiling. Gently slide in 5 ravioli. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until done. Repeat until all of the ravioli is cooked.
• In 8- to 10-inch skillet, heat butter and sage over medium-high heat until butter is golden brown, reducing heat if needed to keep butter from burning. Remove sage; pour butter over ravioli. Sprinkle with extra cheese as desired.

PECORINO AND PEAR SALAD

Steps:

• Place fava beans in a saucepan, cover with water and simmer 3 minutes. Drain, allow to cool and peel outer skins.
• Trim fennel bulb, quarter and remove core. Slice paper-thin on a mandoline. Place in a bowl with fava beans.
• Finely grate 1/2 ounce cheese. Cut the rest in paper-thin slices and set aside. Combine vinegar and oil in a small bowl, stir in grated cheese and pour over fennel and favas. Toss. Set aside. Cut pears in half vertically. Remove cores. Slice paper-thin, vertically. Place in another bowl and toss with lemon juice.
• To assemble, divide fennel and fava beans among four salad plates. On top, make three alternating layers of pecorino and pear slices, ending with pears. Scatter pine nuts, sprinkle with sea salt and garnish each plate with a sprig of tarragon. Serve.

PEARS AND PECORINO CHEESE

Steps:

• Slice the cheese thin and divide it among four plates. Cut the pears into quarters, core them and slice the quarters thin. Divide them among four plates.
• Warm the honey in a small saucepan and pour it lightly over the pears and cheese. Grind pepper over each plate and serve.

FRESH PEAR AND PECORINO RAVIOLI

Steps:

• Peel and core the pear, and shred it against the large holes of a box grater. Stir the shreds with the shredded cheese in a bowl, and blend in the mascarpone.
• Following the master method, page 189, roll dough strips for filling. For each raviolo, scoop a scant tablespoon of the filling, shape it round and drop in place. Cover and cut ravioli by master method.
• Cook the ravioli as in master method, page 192. Meanwhile, heat the butter until simmering in a large skillet and thin it with a cup of the boiling pasta water. Lay the cooked ravioli in the skillet, and coat with the hot butter. Remove the pan from the heat, and sprinkle over it the grated aged Pecorino, mixing gently so the cheese begins to melt into a sauce, then grind coarse black pepper all around.
• I serve these with a melted-butter sauce and sprinkles of black pepper and more Pecorino Romano-details are in the recipe. If you can, find a mild, one-year-old aged Pecorino for the finishing touch.

PEAR AND PECORINO SALAD

Steps:

• 1 Trim the tough stems from the watercress or arugula and discard any yellowed or bruised leaves. Wash the greens in several changes of cool water. Dry very well. Tear the greens into bite-size pieces. Divide the greens among four salad plates. 2 In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the pears, and toss gently with the dressing. 3 Place the pears on top of the greens. With a small paring knife or a swivel-blade vegetable peeler, shave thin flakes of the cheese over each salad. Serve immediately. From "1,000 Italian Recipes." Copyright 2004 by Michele Scicolone. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

PEAR, PECORINO, AND PROSCIUTTO PANINI

Steps:

• Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pear to pan, and sprinkle with sugar. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden.
• Brush cut sides of bread with vinegar. Arrange pear slices, arugula, cheese, and prosciutto evenly over bottom half of bread. Sprinkle generously with freshly cracked pepper. Cover with top half of bread.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add stuffed loaf to pan. Place a cast-iron or heavy skillet on top of stuffed loaf; press gently to flatten. Cook 4 minutes on each side or until bread is toasted (leave cast-iron skillet on stuffed loaf while it cooks). Cut into quarters.