Now, I’m not about to get all partridge in a pear tree on you but ’tis the season for pears.
I call this time of the year the dark and dreary world of fruit eating (anyone else miss their mangoes, peaches and strawberries?) but I love cooking with pears. And a flavor combination I enjoy is pears and curry.
Years ago, my mom gave me a fabulous Canadian cookbook The Best of Bridge. This dish is from their Best of the Best with all their top recipes so you know it’s gotta be good. It’s meatless but if you want you can serve it with chicken or pork. I generally double it because the recipe only serves two and I add garbanzo beans for flavor and protein. Enjoy…your house will smell wonderful for days after you’ve tried it.
Fresh pear and curry pasta
(serves 2; I generally double this recipe)
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 Tbsp oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp medium curry paste (or I just use 2-3 tsp of curry)
1 tsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp honey (I prefer more to make it sweeter)
1 can garbanzo beans
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 unpeeled ripe pear, peeled and sliced in thin wedges
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 Tbsp cream (optional; I leave out when I’m trying to eat healthier)
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
Pasta for 2: rotini, bow ties or shells
Instructions
In a frying pan over medium heat, saute onion in oil until soft. Add garlic and curry and stir 2-3 minutes. Add tomato paste and honey and stir another 2 minutes. Add broth and beans, increase heat to medium high and boil gently, reducing liquid to less than 1 cup. (This takes about 15 minutes). If you like it less thick and more soupy, don’t cook as long (I love to do this and also use it as soup).
Not cooked as long, used as soup
Delicious with cream
Add pear slices and cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and cream and stir another 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped cilantro. Pour over pasta and toss gently. Enjoy!
I'm a Canadian-born mom of two, former Denver Post columnist, family travel writer, editor of MileHighMamas.com and 9News contributor. Expert on all things Utah, Denver, family and travel. Lover of laughter and life. Happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin. 