Blue Cheese Pasta with Walnuts
User Reviews
4.9
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Prep Time
10 mins
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Cook Time
10 mins
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Total Time
20 mins
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Servings
4
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Calories
528 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Italian
Blue Cheese Pasta with Walnuts
Description
This recipe begins by toasting walnuts in a hot oven until golden, adding a subtle crunch and nutty aroma to the dish. Meanwhile, pasta is cooked in salted boiling water until just shy of fully done, reserving some cooking water before draining. The sauce is prepared by gently warming heavy cream with chopped fresh rosemary until nearly simmering, then folding in room-temperature crumbled blue cheese to melt it smoothly without boiling, which could cause the sauce to thicken unevenly.
The cooked pasta is combined with the blue cheese cream sauce, and reserved pasta water is added incrementally to achieve a creamy coating that clings to the noodles. The combination of tender pasta and the rich, flavorful sauce delivers a balance of creamy texture with the pungent bite of blue cheese and herbal notes from rosemary. Toasted walnuts scattered over the top add a contrasting crunch and nutty flavor.
This pasta is ideally served warm and makes a rich main course or special side. Fresh rosemary greatly contributes to the aroma; if unavailable, it can be omitted, though the final flavor will be less herbaceous. Care is taken not to boil the cream to preserve sauce quality, and adding a small amount of cold water can help adjust consistency if needed.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup walnuts see post for alternatives
- 10 oz pasta
- salt
- 1¼ cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon rosemary see note 2, chopped, fresh
- ½ cup blue cheese room temperature (see note 1)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F/220ºC.
- Place a large pan of water onto boil.
- Place the walnuts on a lined baking tray and bake then for 5 minutes until golden. Set a timer.¼ cup walnuts
- Once the pasta water is boiling, salt it generously and cook it for a minute less than the packet suggests.10 oz pasta salt
- Before draining the pasta, reserve 1 cup of the cooking water.
- While the pasta is cooking, pour the cream and rosemary into a small heavy-based pan and heat over medium heat until it is almost simmering. (See note 3)1¼ cups heavy cream1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
- Add the crumbled blue cheese to the cream and stir gently until it has melted.½ cup blue cheese
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and ¼ cup of reserved water.
- Toss the pasta gently in the sauce until everything is coated and the pasta is cooked to your liking. Add more pasta cooking water as required.
- Serve sprinkled with the toasted walnuts.
Notes
- Choose your favorite blue cheese style, either from crumbled blocks or pre-crumbled; crumbling when cold makes the process easier.
- Fresh rosemary adds aroma but can be skipped if unavailable without compromising the dish fundamentally.
- Prevent boiling the cream to avoid a thick, claggy sauce; if it does boil, removing from heat and adding a little cold water helps achieve the right consistency.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 528 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 528kcal | 26% |
| Carbohydrates | 56g | 19% |
| Protein | 16g | 32% |
| Fat | 38g | 58% |
| Saturated Fat | 21g | 105% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 5g | 29% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 9g | 45% |
| Cholesterol | 98mg | 33% |
| Sodium | 222mg | 9% |
| Potassium | 306mg | 7% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 1242IU | 25% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 162mg | 16% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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