Pear Crostata

This recipe was adapted from Ina Garten’s Apple Crostata recipe. It’s just as delicious with pears or apples, and relatively easy to make.

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2 Tbsp. ice water

1 1/2 lbs. pears
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger

Directions:

For the pastry, put the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10 to 12 times, or until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water. Pulse to combine, stopping just before the dough becomes a solid mass. Turn the dough onto a well-floured board and form into a disk. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Peel, core, and cut the pears into thin slices. Toss the pears with the lemon juice and zest. Add sugar, flour, salt and spices; stir until the dry mixture coats the pears.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Flour a rolling pin and roll the pastry into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer it to a baking sheet. Pour the pears into the center of the pastry, scraping the sides of the bowl to get all the sugary goodness onto the tops of the pears. Gently fold the pastry edges over the pears to enclose the dough, pleating it to make a circle.

Bake the crostata for 25 minutes, until the crust is golden and the pears are tender. Allow to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. (This dessert is also delicious with coffee or tea for breakfast the next morning.)