Bowl o'blues

'Tis the season for preparing foods that fall into the "treat" category.

Jill Wilcox  •  Special to Postmedia News
Dec 19, 2019  •  December 19, 2019  •  2 minute read
Pasta with blue cheese and walnuts

‘Tis the season for preparing foods that fall into the “treat” category.

In our home, the following recipe fits.

We are big fans of blue cheese. It could be Stilton from England, Gorgonzola from Italy, or a good quality Danish blue cheese. When I find myself with a few end bits of any of these cheeses, it’s time to make one of our favourite pasta dishes.

This rich, easy recipe can be a starter or a main course. The crunch of the toasted walnuts is a lovely contrast to the smooth texture of the creamy blue cheese sauce.

Make a big colourful salad to go with this dish and it’s an easy and special meal.

jill@jillstable.ca

Twitter.com/jillstable

PASTA WITH BLUE CHEESE AND WALNUTS

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. (15 ml) butter

1 shallot finely chopped

1 cup (250 ml) of whipping cream (35%)

1/2 cup. (125 ml) crumbled blue cheese

1/4 cup. (50 ml) grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup. (75 ml) chopped, toasted walnuts

3/4 lb. (375 ml) short or long pasta

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Additional 3 tbsp. (45 ml) crumbled blue cheese

Instructions:

1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.

2. Add the shallot and cook for 2 minutes. Add the whipping cream and blue cheese and reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring frequently until the cheese has melted.

3. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and half of the walnuts. Turn the heat off. Season with pepper to taste.

4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente. (Reserve 1/2 cup. (125 ml) of the pasta water.

5. Drain the pasta and return to the pot. Add the sauce. Stir to completely coat the pasta. (If the pasta seems too dry, add some of the hot reserved pasta water a spoonful at a time until creamy).

6. Transfer to a pasta bowl. Sprinkle with remaining walnuts and blue cheese and serve.

7. Serves 4-6.

* Options: This pasta dish is particularly good as an accompaniment to grilled beef.

Editor’s note: Back by popular demand, the Londoner is reprinting a selection of Jill Wilcox’s recipes. This one was originally published Dec. 28, 2013. Enjoy!