Easy and Creamy Gorgonzola Pasta with Olives (pasta alla cenere)
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
10 mins
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Cook Time
15 mins
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Servings
4
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Calories
892 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Italian
Easy and Creamy Gorgonzola Pasta with Olives (pasta alla cenere)
Description
The preparation starts with removing pits and finely chopping black olives, while Gorgonzola cheese is destemmed and cut into small chunks. Gorgonzola and milk or cream gently melt in a skillet over low heat with constant stirring to create a smooth cheese sauce. Chopped olives and optional marjoram or thyme add savory flavors and complexity.
Cooked al dente pasta is combined with the sauce, with some reserved starchy pasta water stirred in if the sauce is too thick, to achieve a creamy consistency that clings to each pasta tube. Grated Parmigiano Reggiano can be added to enhance cheesiness and slightly thicken the sauce.
Pasta alla cenere is traditionally made with tubular pasta but can accommodate other types. Vegetarian versions use appropriate vegetarian blue cheese and parmesan substitutes to accommodate dietary preferences. The dish delivers a balance of creamy, tangy, and briny flavors in every bite.
Ingredients
- 14 ounces penne pasta or other pasta tubes, or rigatoni pasta
- 10.5 ounces gorgonzola dolce or vegetarian blue cheese or ricotta
- 7 Floz milk full fat milk or fresh cream
- 3.5 ounces black olives pitted and chopped. I used taggiasca olives
- 1 prig marjoram optional, fresh, or thyme
- 2 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano cheese grated or vegetarian parmesan, or grana padano, 2 oz
- salt for pasta.
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients
- Remove the stones from the olives (if not already pitted) and chop them into very small pieces. Cut the skin off the Gorgonzola cheese and cut it into small chunks.
Cook this recipe.
- Put a large pot of water onto boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil and bring to the boil again.
- While you boil the pasta water, put the milk/cream and pieces of Gorgonzola into a deep skillet or large saucepan. Cook over a low heat, stirring continuously until the cheese has melted.
- Add the chopped olives and then some fresh marjoram or thyme if using. Mix and cook on a very low heat for another minute. You can add some grated Parmigiano to thicken the sauce if necessary or just to make it even more cheesy!
- Cook pasta al dente according to the instructions on the packet. Save a cup of the starchy pasta cooking water and drain the pasta. If the sauce seems thick add some pasta cooking water, stir, and then add the pasta. Mix the pasta and sauce together well over a medium heat and serve immediately with grated Parmigiano or grana if required.
Notes
- Feel free to use any pasta shape, including spaghetti, though pasta tubes like penne or rigatoni are traditional.
- To make this dish vegetarian, select vegetarian versions of parmesan and blue cheese, as traditional Gorgonzola is not vegetarian.
- Italian dolcelatte cheese provides a similar mild blue flavor as Gorgonzola if preferred.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 892 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 892kcal | 45% |
| Carbohydrates | 79g | 26% |
| Protein | 35g | 70% |
| Fat | 48g | 74% |
| Saturated Fat | 28g | 140% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 14g | 70% |
| Cholesterol | 122mg | 41% |
| Sodium | 1472mg | 61% |
| Potassium | 485mg | 10% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
| Vitamin A | 1508IU | 30% |
| Vitamin C | 0.3mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 611mg | 61% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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