There are some recipes that feel like rituals — not just cooking, but a celebration of a season, a place, a way of being in the world. For me, pears roasted in Nebbiolo are exactly that: a small, perfect ceremony for autumn, inspired by the ember-hued hills of Italy’s Piedmont region.

In Italy, fall isn’t just a transition — it’s a feast for all senses. Chestnuts roast on street corners, truffle hunters vanish into the misty woods, and the markets are heavy with porcini, persimmons, and the last of the late pears. And in Piedmont, there’s always wine. Not just to drink, but to cook with — especially when it’s Nebbiolo.

Why Nebbiolo? It’s not only the signature grape of Barolo and Barbaresco, but a wine that behaves like autumn itself — elegant, earthy, and introspective. Its high acidity keeps things lively, its tannins lend structure, and its perfume (violets, cherries, roses, and a hint of tar) turns anything it touches into something hauntingly beautiful. When you simmer and roast pears in Nebbiolo, those qualities become edible: a dessert that smells like fallen leaves and old stone cellars, tastes like dark fruit and spice, and looks like a sunset you can spoon onto a plate.

This recipe comes together easily — it’s a matter of patience more than technique — and rewards you with a dish that feels both rustic and refined. You can serve the pears warm with mascarpone or gelato, or chilled the next day, when their color deepens and the syrup turns almost lacquered.

Pears in Nebbiolo: A Piemontese Ode to Autumn

Pere al Nebbiolo

Serves 8

Ingredients:

8 Bosc pears, peeled, bottoms trimmed so they stand upright
1 lemon wedge
1½ bottles Nebbiolo (or another dry, aromatic red such as Barbera or Chianti Classico)
350 g sugar (about 1½ cups — vanilla sugar if you have it)
3 cinnamon sticks
30 cloves

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Rub the peeled pears with the lemon wedge to prevent oxidation.
Pour the wine into a pot large enough to hold the pears. Add the sugar and spices, and simmer gently until the sugar dissolves.
Nestle the pears upright into the pot.
Transfer the pot to the oven — uncovered — and roast for about 1 hour, or until the pears are tender when pierced with a knife. Turn them every 10 minutes or so to ensure even color.
Remove the pears and return the pot to the stove. Simmer the wine until it reduces to a rich, glossy syrup.
Strain, then spoon the syrup generously over the pears before serving.

As the syrup clings to the pears, you’ll see why Nebbiolo is the soul of this dish — its ruby hue staining the fruit, its perfume rising with the steam. Each spoonful tastes like the Italian idea of enough: not indulgence, exactly, but abbondanza — abundance of flavor, of beauty, of simple joy.

Serve this on a gray afternoon, maybe with a little aged cheese or a handful of roasted hazelnuts from the Langhe, and let Piedmont in autumn fill your kitchen.

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