Pear and Gorgonzola Tart

It's going to be a quick Pie Friday post today since our days are EXPLODING while four out of six of us get ready to go back to school (for some of us, that's NEXT WEEK HOLY SMOKES), but this tart is delicious. The sweet pears and caramelized onions are cut by the strong gorgonzola. Perfect for brunch, or a simple dinner with a light side salad. And how handy, pears are coming into season!

This is a Giada DeLaurentis recipe- it's essentially exactly as she's written, I've just made a few minor tweaks for preference.


Ingredients

• 1 store bought pie shell
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 2 ounces Gorgonzola
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
• Pinch salt
• Pinch freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 small pears, cored and sliced 
• 1 large onion, sliced thin
• Pate Brisee

Directions
 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out pate brisee into a circle with a diameter slightly larger than your pie plate. Press pastry circle into the pie plate. Place in the oven, and bake until pie crust is lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, combine the cream cheese, gorgonzola, thyme, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Using a hand blender, whip the cheeses together.

In a large, heavy skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they are a soft golden brown. Add pears and cook until golden on both sides, about 5 minutes.

When the tart crust has cooled slightly, gently spread the whipped cheese mixture evenly over the bottom of the tart. Place the pear slicesand caramelized onions over the cheese mixture.
 
Cut into squares or wedges and serve.

 Source: Giada Delaurentis, Pear Gorgonzola Tart Recipe