Weekly Dish

I did not know this pasta would turn out to be purple. The recipe, graciously sent to me by Jonathan, a kind reader in Florida, calls for a specific kind of gorgonzola cheese (dolce or Saga Blue), and I could only find the already-crumbled inexpensive kind. Perhaps there is a difference. Or maybe it’s the ham I added. At any rate, don’t let the color dissuade you from making it–it is quick, easy, and the sauce is smooth and delicious. Even if it is purple.

Penne with Gorgonzola and Walnuts

1 pound penne, with ridges

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup ham, diced

2 shallots, chopped

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped finely

8 ounces Gorgonzola cheese

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

2 ounces Parmesan, plus more for garnish

Cook the pasta in boiling water until firm but tender. In a large skillet, heat the butter and oil. Add the ham, shallots, and walnuts, and cook over medium until the ham begins to brown and the shallots become tender and translucent. Add milk, cream, and gorgonzola, and stir and cook until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add the nutmeg and Parmesan, and toss with cooked pasta. Top with more Parmesan. Oh, and Jonathan’s recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of fresh sage, thinly sliced to be cooked with the ham and shallots. I didn’t have any, but I bet it would add a nice herbal flavor to the dish. Thanks for the recipe, Jonathan!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 4th, 2005 at 10:57 am and is filed under Main Dish, Pasta. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.