Poached Pear and Fig Pizza

It's time for another pizza experiment. This one makes dinner taste like dessert! The pears make the house smell like Christmas. The tart pears, sweet figs, and salty onions all compliment each other really well.

Red Wine Poached Pear and Fig Pizza

1-2 pears, peeled and sliced
3/4 cups red wine (I used Merlot)
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-3 figs, thinly sliced (keep in fridge until ready to use)
1/2 medium onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2-1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 pizza crust (We like the Boboli thin wheat)

1. Preheat oven as directed by pizza crust.
2. Combine wine, sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, and vanilla in small saucepan. Heat until boiling. Reduce to simmer and add pears.
3. Simmer for about 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pears are tender and can easily be pierced with a fork. Remove from heat, scoop out pears and put on plate to dry out a little.
4. Simmer remaining sauce until reduced in half. Save for pizza "sauce".
4. Meanwhile, thinly slice onion and sauté on medium heat with olive oil until caramelized. Set aside.
5. Spread/drizzle a little bit of the left over pear sauce on the pizza crust. Layer pears, thinly sliced figs, onions, and cheese onto pizza crust. I also topped with just a smallest sprinkling of parmesan cheese
6. Bake according to pizza crust directions.

AEM