shortlist no. 31 / november 4, 2011

Here I am keeping up with my shortlisting! This one was a dinner I threw together with one hand (I have a 6-week-old) and half a brain. The tart? Made with store-bought puff pastry (see below for recipe). The pistachio pasta? Dead easy (as you’ll see when I post about it soon). The bread pudding, I’m only half-embarrassed to admit, I’d made earlier and frozen for just such an occasion: when the fridge is empty, I’m out of sugar, and people are coming over in a few hours.

You may be asking yourself why we have people over if there’s nothing to eat in the house but pasta, we are leaving in one week for a two-month long trip to the States, and – oh yeah! – we have a newborn!

For one, we like it. Also? It’s a way to make sure we don’t become the kind of people who have a kid and never see anyone else ever again. (Though I must admit I finally get the appeal of being a stay at home parent, if only for a little while.) Plus,  Francesco firmly believes that even if we have no time/energy/funds to go grocery shopping, pasta is always enough. I hope the people who are coming for dinner tonight agree!

PEAR GORGONZOLA TART

1 sheet store-bought puff pastry

1 – 2 large pears, sliced very thinly

1 large piece gorgonzola dolce (or another blue cheese)

honey

Defrost puff pastry and gently stretch on a greased cookie tin. Preheat oven to 400F/200C. Arrange pear slices evenly in an overlapping pattern on dough. Add salt and pepper. Sprinkle evenly with gorgonzola pieces, reserving some to sprinkle on at the end. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or so, until the dough is fully cooked.

Drizzle honey and remaining cheese over before serving. You can use some fresh thyme as a garnish