Creamy Gorgonzola Pasta
This creamy gorgonzola pasta is rich, silky and packed with flavor. Ready in just 15 minutes with toasted walnuts and fresh lemon zest, it's an easy pasta that feels a little bit special.
Servings: 2 people
Ingredients
- 200 grams dried pasta (or 300 grams fresh)
- 30 grams walnuts, (about ⅓ cup) roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- ¼-1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 60 ml cream (¼ cup)
- 150 grams gorgonzola (I use the dolce variety, see notes)
- zest of a lemon
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until lightly golden and fragrant. Set aside.
- Cook your pasta in well salted water, reserving a cup of pasta water before draining. You might not need it, but it's good practice.
- While the pasta cooks, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and black pepper and cook for 30-60 seconds until fragrant, without letting it brown.
- Pour in the cream and bring to a very gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low, add the gorgonzola and stir until completely melted and smooth.
- Add the cooked pasta directly into the sauce with a small splash of pasta water (not quite ¼ cup) and let it gently bubble away for 2-3 minutes to thicken. Continuously toss the pasta to coat.
- Season with salt to taste. It will depend on your cheese and how much you salted your pasta water. I didn't add any.
- This sauce thickens a lot off the heat so you want it slightly looser than you think when in the pan.
- Serve it immediately with the toasted walnuts and fresly grated lemon zest on top.
Notes
Gorgonzola - Use Gorgonzola Dolce for the best result. It is softer, creamier and milder than Gorgonzola Piccante and melts much better into the sauce.
Cream - Use heavy cream (heavy whipping cream). The pasta water will loosen the sauce and help create a silky consistency. It's the most stable cream for sauces.
Salt - Taste before adding any extra salt. Gorgonzola is naturally salty and, with well-salted pasta water, you may not need any.
Serving - This pasta is best served immediately. The sauce thickens considerably as it sits, so have everything ready to go before finishing the pasta.