Roasted Pears with Rosemary and Thyme

Roasted Pears are simple, savory, and delicious. Serve as a side with pork or chicken. You might even want to try them with sugar cookies or vanilla ice cream as a unique dessert.

Pear wedges roasted with hazelnuts, rosemary and thyme on a dark Japanese saucer.

Northwest Pears

The Pacific Northwest is blessed with an abundance of pears. Most of the fresh pears sold in the US are grown in Washington and Oregon. As many as ten different varieties of pears are grown commercially in our region and they are readily available in the market from late summer into spring.

This year, as winter stretched toward spring, I grew bored with the familiar produce I prepared in the same familiar ways, again and again. Looking for something new, my attention came to rest on a display of beautiful pears. My favorite produce market frequently has a big variety to choose from: Bosc, Red Anjou, Green Anjou, StarKrimsom, Asian and Comice.

While pears have been in season for months now, I never give much thought to cooking with them. Suddenly inspired, I searched the Internet. There I found some great pear tips and interesting recipes to consider. Feeling confident, I picked up a few of several different varieties to take home and try out.

Three pears arranged on a woven mat.

The Character of Pears

I discovered that pears ripen best off the tree. I try to select those pears at the market that have a very slight give when gently pressed with my thumb. Then I bring them home to adorn the corner of my kitchen counter for several days. At this stage the shape and texture of a pear is ideal for a study in still life. They are quite pretty as they ripen. They can also be temperamental and impatient at times. Take care to notice them once or twice a day as their character develops. When ripe, a pear should be eaten at once or stored in the refrigerator for up to a few days.

For poaching, baking or roasting, pears can be used before they are perfectly ripe. In my experience, the variety of pear you cook with is less important than its degree of ripeness. Comice, Anjou and Starkrimson all cooked well, provided they were nearly ripe when used. Too ripe, and they fell apart. Too hard and, while cooking might soften its flesh, it won’t impart the delicate flavor that would develop if the pear waited another day or two on the counter.

Something Different

I also found that there are many interesting ways to add pears to my seasonal menus. It seems I had forgotten how lovely pears taste in a simple Pear Pie or crostada. Their unique form adds even more interest to their subtle flavor when poached and served as a salad or light dessert. Still, the most surprising discovery was that pears not only pair well with hazelnuts but with a variety of savory herbs as well.

This recipe for Roasted Pears with Rosemary and Thyme highlights that robust affinity. It is interesting, a bit exotic, and yet easy to prepare. I have to say, it turned out to be everything I hoped for: simple, savory and delicious. These roasted pears are great on a salad or served as a side dish with pork or chicken. They would also be interesting, with ice cream or vanilla sugar cookies, as a dessert. I love the surprising variety of flavors in the first bite!

Roasted Pears with Rosemary and Thyme

Course: Sides, Salads, DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

6

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes
Total time

25

minutes

Roasted Pears are simple, savory, and delicious. Serve as a side with pork or chicken. You might even want to try them with sugar cookies or vanilla ice cream as a unique dessert.

Ingredients

  • 4 firm ripe pears, cored and quartered

  • 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil

  • 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard

  • 1 teaspoon of minced fresh thyme

  • 1/2 teaspoon of minced fresh rosemary

  • 1/4 teaspoon of salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon of ground pepper

  • Pinch of ground dried sage

  • Toasted hazelnuts, chopped

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, minced thyme, minced rosemary, salt, pepper and sage until thoroughly combined.
  • Brush the pears with the mixture.
  • Place pears on a baking sheet or broiler pan. Bake at 425F for 15 minutes, a little less if the pears are very ripe, a little more if they are under-ripe. For best flavor, brush with the herb mixture several times while baking.
  • When the pears are tender when pierced with a fork, remove from the oven.
  • Arrange on a serving dish and top with toasted hazelnut pieces.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

  • Candied Hazelnuts can be substituted for the toasted hazelnut pieces. To add this sweet touch simply melt one Tablespoon of butter in a small skillet, over medium-low heat. Add one Tablespoon of brown sugar and mix well. Add hazelnut pieces and stir slowly but constantly until the nuts begin to brown. Remove from the heat and let rest until cool enough to handle. Then break up the pieces and scatter the candied hazelnuts over the pears.

13 Comments

  1. Christi Krug

    I can’t wait to try this! Pears don’t often get the attention they deserve.

  2. I adore pears. Pears are one of my favorite fruits. And, so, naturally, your roasted pears are totally calling my name. They just look delightfully scrumptious!

  3. Yummie!! I love anything with thyme, and my BH was drooling when looking over my shoulder… not quite sure where I can get pears quite as good looking as yours, though!

  4. Reminds me of a Simon/Garfunkle song…
    I’ve always wanted to cook with pears too, but like you, haven’t yet. Maybe now is the time to try it. It looks really good!!

  5. This recipe looks easy and tasty. I enjoy your descriptions of the pears. Your ability to write about a pear makes me want to rush off to the market and buy some.

    Thanks for making my day. (again)

  6. Lorraine @NotQuiteNigella

    This is such a lovely way to cook pears-very sophisticated and a crowd pleaser I’ll bet!

  7. This does sound wonderful! I love the herb combination with the pears!

  8. rosemary and thyme, eh? interesting combination for pears–i’m eager to try!
    and by the way, i love when you use thyme. it just seems so fitting. 🙂

  9. This sounds perfect. Pears are on of my favorite fruits, have never tried them roasted.

  10. Nazarina A

    This is an interesting agricultural tidbit on pears, thanks for sharing it with us. The ingredient list and your picture of the final dish is absolutely fabulous!

  11. Wow, that is a cool combo! I love the savory-sweet combo.

  12. The Cutting Edge of Ordinary

    I love pears! Thanks for that info! Looks delicious!

  13. Thanks for sharing your pear wisdom.This recipe looks really stunning and simple. I will try it if I can get my hands on some good pears. 🙂

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