Fresh-picked pears are simmered to an intensely flavored paste letting you capture that harvest flavor all year long. In this dish, tender gnocchi coated in a light cream sauce fragrant with pears and Pinot Grigio and a slight bitterness of wilted greens are finished with salted butter hazelnuts. The dish is simple to put together and can stand on its own as a main course or served with baked fish or chicken. Top with finely shredded washed-rind cheese or Parmesan if you like.
Recipe adapted from LCBO Food and Drink, ON Canada
Ingredients
2 tbsp (30 mL) butter
¼ cup (60 mL) hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup (125 mL) Pinot Grigio
1 cup (250 mL) whipping cream
¼ cup (60 mL) Pear Paste
1 lb (500 g) fresh potato gnocchi
3 cups (750 mL) packed chopped Swiss chard
(leaves and tender stems) or baby kale
Preparation
1 Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat until bubbling; add hazelnuts and toast them, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden and fragrant. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl. 2 Add onion to butter in skillet and sauté for about 3 minutes or until softened. Add gar- lic, ½ tsp (2 mL) salt, and pepper to taste and sauté for about 1 minute or until just slightly golden. Pour in wine and boil, scraping up any brown bits stuck to pan, until reduced by about half. Stir in whipping cream and Bartlett Pear Paste and bring to a boil. Boil, stirring often to help pear paste melt, for about 3 min- utes or until sauce is slightly thickened. 3 Meanwhile, cook gnocchi in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package di- rections, about 3 to 4 minutes, or until they float and are just tender. 4 Add Swiss chard to sauce and stir for 1 to 2 minutes or until just wilted. Using a heat- proof strainer, scoop gnocchi out of water and add to sauce; stir gently to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Season hazelnuts with salt. Spoon gnocchi into warmed serving bowls and serve topped with hazelnuts. Serves 4 to 6
