30 Ways with Pears

Poach pears in a syrup made with white wine, vanilla bean, and cinnamon; then serve them with dollops of creamy mascarpone cheese and a sprinkle of crunchy pumpkin seeds.

Recipe: Sauvignon Blanc–Poached Pears with Spicy Pepitas

Imagine a cheese plate in salad form: sweet Red d’Anjou pears team up with sharp, nutty parmesan. Though the red pears add a pop of color, green ones work well too. Save any extra dressing as a dip for raw vegetables or to slather on bread.

Recipe: Red Pear Salad with Lemon Parmesan Dressing

This Chinese-inspired take on short ribs gets its freshness from Bosc pears cooked in the sauce, plus more pears on top in a raw relish. If you have time, cook the recipe a day ahead. The flavors will be deeper, and you can more easily lift the fat from the sauce.

Recipe: Braised Short Ribs with Pear, Ginger, and Star Anise

Contrast the feathery textures of baby Asian greens with the crunch of quick-pickled onion, Asian pear, and sesame seeds.

Recipe: Pear and Asian Greens Salad

Somewhere between a custard and a pancake, you’ll find clafoutis. This version of the classic French dessert, made with slightly floral Comice pears, is best when the stem end of the pears yields slightly to the touch, signaling that the fruit is flavorful but neither hard nor squishy.

Recipe: Comice Pear Clafoutis

The rich cheese and ginger-apple cider dressing unites the fruit with the greens.

Recipe: Fall Greens and Pear Salad

Sweet pears and sharp blue cheese create an exciting yet homey appetizer. Serve them with sparkling wine, or a slightly sweet white wine.

Recipe: Caramelized Pear and Sage Crostini

This pretty mix of fall favorites, sweet Asian pears, crisp fennel, and crunchy walnuts, is a perfect salad for special occasions.

Recipe: Asian Pear, Fennel, and Walnut Salad

Fresh pears and purchased puff pastry add up to an incredibly easy seasonal dessert.

Recipe: Rustic Pear Tarts with Crème Fraîche

Juicy pears take the place of apples in this twist on the apple cranberry crisp. Bake them in individual dishes for an especially pretty presentation.

Recipe: Pear Cranberry Crisps

Brown sugar glazed pears top moist ginger cake in this fall-inspired twist on the classic pineapple upside-down cake.

Recipe: Pear and Ginger Upside-Down Cake

This salad is all about bold contrasts: crisp pears and pecans with tender frisée, and maple syrup with sharp blue cheese.

Recipe: Asian Pear Salad with Pecans

A spicy, molasses-rich gingerbread is the base of a wonderfully festive dessert.

Recipe: Gingerbread Pear Trifle

These golden-brown pears make a stunning finale, and they can be made well ahead of time. Chocolate sorbet adds a deep, rich flavor note.

Recipe: Caramelized Pears with Toasted Hazelnuts and Chocolate Sorbet

This old-fashioned, moist cake, jazzed up with vanilla bean and roasted pears, takes on even more flavor if you start the pears a day ahead so they can steep in their syrup.

Recipe: Upside-Down Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Sherry-Roasted Pears

We cut this tart up into small pieces for an elegant appetizer, but you could also slice it into large wedges and serve it with a green salad for a light meal.

Recipe: Blue Cheese and Pear Tart

Here’s a recipe to add to your go-to list: easy enough to pull off for a Tuesday night dinner but special enough to serve to guests.

Recipe: Gorgonzola-Stuffed Pork Chops with Pears

Sometimes combining three simple ingredients is all that is needed to create something spectacular, and this recipe is the perfect example.

Recipe: Candied Pecan, Pear, and Spinach Salad

This fizzy and fruity cocktail uses pears in three ways.

Recipe: Pear Punch Sparkler

This fall salad is bursting with color and flavor from sweet poached pears, crunchy macadamia nuts, creamy goat cheese, and jewel-colored pomegranate seeds–very impressive.

Recipe: Poached Pear, Macadamia, and Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese

Crisp pancetta and juicy pears make this salad special enough to be holiday-worthy.

Recipe: Spinach, Pear, and Pancetta Salad

The gentle heat of the dried chiles is highlighted by the sweet pears, which become soft and a bit savory while cooking in the pork juices. With a side of greens, this is one of our favorite fall dinners.

Recipe: Braised Pork with Pears and Chiles

A rich flavor and soft crumb made this cake a favorite in our test kitchen.

Recipe: Pear Upside-Down Cake

Light and refreshing, this sorbet is a delightful way to end a heavy meal. If you want to serve sparkling wine with the sorbet, choose one that’s sweeter than the one in the sorbet.

Recipe: Pear Sorbet

These pears aren’t too sweet, and have subtle notes of black pepper and rosemary.

Recipe: Caramelized Rosemary Pears

This fresh holiday side is a nice alternative to cranberry sauce, packing in added seasonal flavor.

Recipe: Roasted Cranberry Pear Relish

In this sensational seasonal dessert, prebaking the topping adds crispness.

Recipe: Pear Ginger Crisp with Crumbly Streusel

A mix of chartreuse and bronze lettuces–if you can find them–really sets off the fruits’ fall colors.

Recipe: Asian Pear, Persimmon, and Almond Salad

Pears and pomegranate seeds and juice flavor this tasty fall starter.

Recipe: Spinach Pomegranate Salad with Pears and Hazelnuts

These pears are so beautiful, it’s hard to believe how easy they are to make. You can also try the recipe with white wine or apple juice instead of the red wine, but the pears won’t have the same pastel color.

Recipe: Red Wine Poached Pears