Penne al Gorgonzola ©

 

 

 

Especially for those cheese lovers out there! This is an old favourite, but definitely one to have in ones collection. It is really easy and quick to make and good for a cold winter’s evening, because it is rich and overflowing with flavour. Like all Italian cooking it has that wonderful Italian flair and reminds me of the years I lived in Florence, getting to know the secrets of their delicious cuisine.

This is a classic gorgonzola sauce found in northern Italy. The gorgonzola required is ‘dolce gorgonzola,’ the creamy almost runny kind, as apposed to the drier, sharper one. Having said that I have made it with both and both are very good.

 

Easy

 

4-6 Persons

 

 

Ingredients

500 g Penne or other pasta of your choice

125 g Italian gorgonzola, preferably the “Dolce” kind.

120 ml milk

30 g butter ( unsalted )

90 ml double cream

6 tbs freshly grated parmesan cheese ( Reggiano )

Pinch of salt and freshly grated black pepper to add along side

 

Method

1. Place serving bowl and bowls in oven to warm at 50.C.

2. Put a generous saucepan of water onto boil, adding a tsp salt.

3. Put gorgonzola, milk, butter and a pinch of salt into a large saute pan, over a low heat. Cook breaking up the cheese with a wooden spoon until it has melted completely and formed a thick creamy sauce.

4. Pour in the cream and raise the heat to med-high. Cook, stirring frequently, until the cream has reduced to two-thirds of it’s original volume ( this will take 3-5 minutes, be careful towards the end the cheese can easily catch on the bottom of the saute pan.)

5. When the pasta is cooked ‘al dente,’ drain and transfer to the pan with the sauce. Turn heat onto low and toss the pasta over the heat with the sauce and the grated parmesan for about 30 seconds.

Serve immediately in warm pasta bowls.

 

Here is an example of “Dolce Gorgonzola,” that you should be able to find in the supermarket.

 

Ideally purchase your gorgonzola by asking the cheese counter to cut you your required amount from a whole

cheese. If this is not possible second best is to purchase the ready cut pre-packed slices.

Put pasta water onto boil with a tsp. salt. when it is boiling rapidly, add pasta, do not cover and turn down

a little  to slow boil.

Place gorgonzola in saute pan together with butter and milk and a pinch of salt.

 

Over a low heat break up the gorgonzola with a wooden spoon, until it has melted completely and formed

a thick creamy sauce.

Pour in cream and raise heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring frequently, until the cream has reduced two-

thirds of it’s original volume, ( this will take 3-5 minutes, watch cheese doesn’t stick to the bottom  of the

saucepan as the sauce thickens.)

Here the cream mixture is being boiled rapidly and thus reducing.

 

Here you can see the sauce has reduced and thickened.

 

The sauce should be reduced enough to coat the back of the spoon.

 

Once pasta is cooked ‘al dente’ ( see cooking terms in Index) drain well in colander, and add to sauce.

 

 

 

Add grated parmesan.

 

Over a low heat, turn pasta for 30 seconds in sauce and serve in heated  bowls.

Just completely delectable……..