Fettucine with gorgonzola and walnuts

I used to go and stay with a school friend who lived near lake Como in Italy. Her family had wholeheartedly espoused the local cooking, and it was they who introduced me to the idea of Gorgonzola sauce with pasta – a very sophisticated concept!

What is the difference between Gorgonzola and Gorgonzola dolce?

Gorgonzola dolce is matured over only 50 days (Gorgonzola is matured over a period of at least 80 days). Gorgonzola dolce (literally, ‘soft, sweet’ in Italian) is indeed softer than its older brother in two ways: it’s much creamier; and it’s not nearly as pungent. Its blue streaking is not nearly as clear to see.

For more about white Gorgonzola, follow this link.

If you want to make this sauce a bit stronger…

It lends itself well to the forming the basis of a pasta sauce, but if you want something a bit more serious you could substitute a mix of the older Gorgonzola and some mascarpone – maybe in portions two-thirds to one-third.

In any case, this sauce takes no time to make – it’s literally just melted Gorgonzola loosened with a little milk.

The addition of the walnuts isn’t rocket science either: the success of the walnut-blue cheese marriage is well-documented.

To find out why it’s worth dry-frying the walnuts follow this link.

Fettucine with gorgonzola and walnuts

Most packets of pasta are 500g. 250g – half the packet would be enough for two hungry people as a main course. 125g will just do for two as a starter; or as a lunch with a salad perhaps including some avocado for a bit of additional bulk.

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Serves – 2

Ingredients

• 50g/⅓ cup walnut halves
• 125g/5 oz fettucine
• 160g/6 oz gorgonzola dolce
• 2 tbsps milk (full cream)
• Chives
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil to drizzle

Instructions

1. Dry fry the walnut halves in the saucepan you are going to use for the pasta.
2. Boil a kettle for the pasta. Put pasta plates in to warm.
3. Divide the gorgonzola in half, and put one of the halves into a small saucepan with the milk. Warm gently in a small saucepan.
4. Take out the walnut halves, fill the saucepan with boiling water, add plenty of salt and a little olive oil and add the pasta. Keep to a rolling boil for however long it instructs on the pasta packet.
5. Drain the pasta, return to the saucepan. Drizzle in a little olive oil to keep the pasta lengths separate and grind over some black pepper. Add the sauce. Mix well to coat.
6. Serve with the rest of the gorgonzola dotted over, snip over the chives, and sprinkle over the walnuts.