Pear And Gorgonzola Ravioli Recipe

If you love a complex, nuanced, and delicious dish and you're not rattled by a bit of a challenge and — let's be honest — a bit of drama, then this is the recipe for you. The flavor comes courtesy of a blend of ingredients ranging from fresh pears to two kinds of cheese, nuts, and herbs, the challenge comes during the near hour or so of prep work, and the drama comes from the fact that you could screw this recipe up during the mere 5-minute cooking period.

But what's life without some excitement, right? And besides, you will have thorough, step-by-step instructions care of chef and recipe developer Stephanie Rapone of Pantry to Plate Meals to guide you. Once you put in the time and get through the bit of worry during the actual boiling process, this will be one of the tastiest dishes you have served at home — true restaurant-quality fare. Want to round it out into a full feel? "[Pairing] simple roasted chicken thighs would be delicious, along with a crisp white wine," Rapone says. And you'll certainly deserve that drink after all the prep!

It takes a fair amount of ingredients to make these ravioli, but again, the flavor will be worth it. You'll need a medium to large shallot, olive oil, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, dried pears, fresh Anjou pears, ricotta cheese, Gorgonzola cheese, 48 wonton wrappers (to make four servings), 1 stick of unsalted butter, chopped walnuts, sprigs of fresh sage, and some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Peel and mince the shallot, then measure out 2 tablespoons and set them aside. Next, chop the dried pear into ¼-inch pieces and be sure to throw out any stems. Then, peel and chop the fresh pears into ¼-inch pieces. Finally, finely chop the sage, then measure out and set aside 2 tablespoons.

In a medium non-stick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and ¾ teaspoon of kosher salt and sauté until the shallot is soft and has just started to brown. Add both the dried and fresh pears and cook them until the fresh pears are soft, but not mashed or mushy. Remove everything from the pan to a mesh sieve to strain the excess moisture and let the mixture cool for at least 10 minutes.

Now, get a mixing bowl and add the Gorgonzola, ricotta, ¼ teaspoon of black pepper, and the cooked pears and shallots and mix everything well. Chill the filling in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Prepare a baking sheet so that the ravioli won't stick. This can be accomplished with a spritz of non-stick spray, brushing it with olive oil, or using either parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Next, if desired, trim the wonton wrappers into circles with a 3-inch cutter. "You can also just fold them as triangles," Rapone says, adding, "My personal preference is to do circles because I don't like the extra dough created when you make triangle shapes."

Now, wet your fingertip and sweep it along the edges of one half of the first wrapper, then add 1 teaspoon of filling to the center and fold the wrapper over. Carefully press out the air and press the edges to seal the ravioli closed, then place it on the baking sheet while you make the rest of the ravioli. "Be careful not to overstuff the ravioli and to press the edges well to seal them," cautions Rapone.

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium so it's boiling but not too roughly. Now add six to nine ravioli, being careful not to overcrowd the water, and boil them for just one to two minutes, until they float. Use a spider or slotted spoon to remove the cooked ones onto the baking sheet again.

Once all the ravioli have been cooked, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter starts to get super bubbly, add walnuts and cook for two minutes, stirring, until the butter is browned. Then turn off the heat and stir in the sage.

Finally, add the cooked ravioli and gently toss them in the sauce, then transfer them to your serving dish and top with the remaining ¼ teaspoon of black pepper and freshly grated Parmesan. And then, enjoy! And no leftovers, FYI — Rapone says: "It's best fresh, as reheating tends to make the pasta a bit gummy."