This pie was almost like a “Pantry Challenge”:
I bought a huge bag of pears on special at Superstore and wanted to make something that would be good for breakfast.
I also had ricotta in the fridge – I bought it at Costco for gnocchi and of course only needed ONE of the 2 tubs, so finding a use for the second one was becoming critical.
I scoured dozens of recipes…and finally settled on a pear and ricotta galette which I adapted to make it more “Canadian”, eh. In other words I swapped out the walnuts in the original recipe for pecans.
What I love about this pie is that it would make a brilliant dessert but it’s equally perfect as a breakfast baked treat. It is like a way-less-sugary Danish.
This is a fabulous crust – really flaky and buttery and has just enough crunch.
Ingredients:
Crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tspn salt
1 tbspn white sugar
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter
6 tbspn iced water
Filling:
6 Bartlett Pears (or similar firm pears) peeled, cored and thinly sliced
2 tbspn brown sugar
1/2 tspn ground cinnamon
200 g ricotta cheese
1/2 cup pecan pieces
Honey or Maple Syrup for drizzling
Directions:
Combine flour, salt and sugar in a food processor. Add finely choppedd butter and pulse until crumbly. Pour water over mixture and pulse until a crumbly dough forms. Remove from processor, roll into a ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Toss pears with brown sugar, pecans and cinnamon and set aside.Preheat oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; roll dough into a 12-inch circle on top of the baking sheet. Sprinkle a thin layer of flour on top of the dough to prevent the crust from getting soggy.
Spread ricotta evenly over dough, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge. Top with pears and pecans and fold over edges. Bake 30-40 minutes until pears have caramelized and crust has browned. Remove from oven and let cool before slicing.Drizzle honey or syrup over pie before serving.
