Pear & Fontina Ravioli Filling

Name: Pear & Fontina Ravioli Filling
Yield: Approximately 40-50 medium ravioli, using 10-12 g filling each
Ingredients: 220 g Ripe but firm pears, peeled, cored and cut in 5 mm dice; Comice or Packham work well; 180 g Fontina Valle d'Aosta DOP, finely grated; 40 g Ricotta, drained overnight until very dry; 20 g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated; 10 g Shallot, fine brunoise; 15 g Unsalted butter; from 1/2 lemon Lemon zest, finely grated; 5 ml Lemon juice or pear vinegar; 1 each Egg yolk; to taste White pepper, finely ground; to taste Fine sea salt; 5 g to 8 g Mascarpone, optional, only if the finished filling needs extra silkiness

Ripieno di pera e Fontina

A restrained alpine filling of cooked pear, Fontina, dry ricotta and Parmigiano, balanced with lemon and white pepper.

Handmade pear and Fontina ravioli finished with brown butter, sage and toasted hazelnut.

A restrained alpine filling of cooked pear, Fontina, dry ricotta and Parmigiano, balanced with lemon and white pepper.

Approximately 40-50 medium ravioli, using 10-12 g filling each

Cook this

Ingredients

Batch

Filling

Ripe but firm pears, peeled, cored and cut in 5 mm dice; Comice or Packham work well220 g
Fontina Valle d'Aosta DOP, finely grated180 g
Ricotta, drained overnight until very dry40 g
Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated20 g
Shallot, fine brunoise10 g
Unsalted butter15 g
Lemon zest, finely gratedfrom 1/2 lemon
Lemon juice or pear vinegar5 ml
Egg yolk1 each
White pepper, finely groundto taste
Fine sea saltto taste
Mascarpone, optional, only if the finished filling needs extra silkiness5 g to 8 g

Method

Sweat the shallot gently in the butter without colour. Add the diced pear and a small pinch of salt. Cook over medium-low heat until tender and the visible moisture has evaporated, about 4-6 minutes. Finish with the lemon juice or pear vinegar.
Spread the pear mixture on a tray and cool completely. The cooked pear should be moist but not wet. If liquid gathers on the tray, return it to the pan and reduce a little further.
Combine the cold pear mixture with the Fontina, ricotta, Parmigiano, egg yolk, lemon zest and white pepper. Fold rather than whip so the filling stays dense and pipeable.
Taste and adjust salt only after all cheeses are incorporated. Fontina and Parmigiano vary in saltiness.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes. The filling should hold a neat mound from a spoon or piping bag. If it is loose, chill longer or cook the pear component slightly drier rather than adding flour.
Before shaping the full batch, cook one test raviolo. Check seasoning, acidity and melt, then adjust the filling if needed.

Chef’s notes

The critical control is moisture: the pear must be cooked dry enough and the ricotta must be well drained.
Use the optional mascarpone only when needed. Too much soft dairy makes the ravioli more difficult to seal and more likely to leak.
Serve simply with brown butter and sage, hazelnut butter with lemon, or a light white-wine cream.

Allergens and diet

Milk. Eggs.

Last refined · September 2026