Penne with Creamy Gorgonzola Sauce

Perfectly cooked al dente penne pasta tossed with a quick and Creamy Gorgonzola Sauce. This sauce can be used in so many ways like over a juicy chargrilled steak or baked into a potato gratin but it's especially good tossed with pasta for a simple and comforting weeknight meal!

We love dem carbs and we love them even more tossed with a rich, indulgent and intense cheese sauce. Yup, this gorgonzola sauce is insane and yet it's so simple to make that it's ready by the time the pasta is cooked.

What Kind of Gorgonzola to Use?

When it comes to gorgonzola there are two main types you'll commonly see in your local supermarket or Italian deli; dolce or piccante. Dolce meaning sweet in Italian is much creamier in texture and when left out at room temperature it oozes and becomes soft, creamy and much more instense in flavour.

The piccante varieties which mean hot in Italian are much firmer and have a spicier taste but not in a hot chilli kind of way. The taste is tangy and stronger tasting and it can often leave a slight warmth in your throat….yup we are a cheese freak!

The BEST gorgonzola to use for this recipe is by far the dolce kind and luckily it's much more common to find if your supermarket only sells one kind. For this gorgonzola sauce you want the creamy, rich flavour without the overpowering tang of the piccante cheese.

Why You Should Leave Gorgonzola Out of the Fridge

We've noticed a HUGE difference in flavour when the cheese is left out of the fridge for a few hours before cooking with it or even eating it with crackers and chutneys.

The flavour develops and intensifies so much more and you notice a difference in the gorgonzola pasta sauce. We recommend leaving it out of the fridge 4-6 hours before cooking with it for best results.

Short on time? Don't worry we've tested this recipe with the cheese straight from the fridge and believe us you are still going to have yourself an good meal.

How to Make Penne with Creamy Gorgonzola Sauce – Step By Step

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Important: serve 1/3 pasta water.

Meanwhile, put the milk and butter in a large deep sided skillet or pan and heat until the butter has melted. Once the butter has melted add the gorgonzola and stir until melted.

Add the cream and 1 tbsp parmesan with a good pinch of pepper.

Tip: both cheeses will give seasoning to the sauce so you probably won't need much salt, always taste it before adding.

Cook the sauce until the pasta is ready and then add the pasta water. Add the cooked pasta and toss until evenly coated, serve with an extra grating of parmesan.

What's the Best Pasta to Use?

This particular pasta sauce is versatile and would work well with most pasta shapes. We've gone for penne but you could use rigatoni (ziti) spaghetti or bucatini (thick, hollow spaghetti). choose your favourite and it'll work well.

One thing to remember when using longer pasta shapes is that the sauce is a thicker consistency so you might need to add a little extra pasta water for tossing with longer pasta.

Also use high-quality pasta, if you want to make your own homemade pasta dough then check out our recipe and have a play around with shapes or if going for dried choose a good brand like this one.

Other Ways to Use this Gorgonzola Sauce

This sauce can be used is so many ways you don't have to stop at pasta. Why not try serving it with a chargrilled steak or chicken breasts wrapped with prosciutto? If you cook the sauce for a minute or two longer it will thicken slightly and be suited to pouring oven dishes like that.

If you love potato dauphinoise or gratin then this sauce would work great for an ultra creamy cheesy potato bake. You could also toss it with gnocchignudi or oven roasted asparagus the list is endless!

Is Gorgonzola the Same as Blue Cheese?

Blue cheese refers to all cheeses with blue mould such as Stilton, Roquefort, Danish Blue and Gorgonzola. There is a whole range of endless cheeses that come under the name 'blue cheese'.

The blue mould comes from Penicillium which is a culture that is added at the time of making the cheese. It's then left to age in a temperature controlled environment where the blue veins or spots develop throughout the cheese. It's completely safe to eat and gives the cheese a distinct, strong and salty flavour.

Tip: if you see mould growing on the cheese that's totally different from the rest or has a furry looking texture that means it has gone off and it's time to throw it out.

Top Tips for Making this Recipe Perfectly

• Don't overcook the pasta, for al dente you should cook dried penne pasta for around 8-10 minutes. Every brand will be slightly different but always check your pasta after 8 minutes and keep an eye on it because overcooked pasta is the worst!
• Choose Gorgonzola dolce and not piccante.
• Leave the gorgonzola out of the fridge for a few hours (4-6) if possible you will notice a difference in flavour but if you can't manage it you can still use it straight from the fridge.
• Add the pasta to the sauce, not the other way round, you want the pasta to soak up every last drop.
• The sauce should coat the pasta and there shouldn't be any runny creamy sauce swimming around at the bottom.
• If the sauce is too thick for your liking add a little more pasta water.
• Don't be tempted to add more cheese or cream or the sauce will become too rich and sickly (we've tried).
• You can make the sauce in advance and let it cool and store in the fridge. It will probably thicken so add a little pasta water or if not making it for pasta add a touch of milk to loosen it.
• The pasta is best served immediately.

More Recipes with Gorgonzola You Might Like:

• Spinach Pizza with Gorgonzola & Red Onion
• Roasted Asparagus with Gorgonzola
• Mini Sausage Pizzas with Pear and Gorgonzola
• A Winter Salad – Spinach, Apple, Gorgonzola & Candied Walnuts

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• 14 oz (400g) Penne pasta
• 3.5 oz (100g) Gorgonzola
• 2 tbsp (30g) Butter
• 2/3 cup (150ml) Milk
• 2 tbsp Heavy cream ((double cream in UK))
• 2 tbsp Parmesan (grated)
• 1/3 cup (80ml) Pasta water
• Salt and pepper (to season)

Method

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Make sure to serve 1/3 pasta water.

2. Meanwhile, put the milk and butter in a large deep sided skillet or pan and heat until the butter has melted. Once the butter has melted add the gorgonzola and stir until melted.

3. Add the cream and 1 tbsp parmesan with a a good pinch of pepper (around 1 tsp freshly grinded) and a pinch of salt.

4. Cook the sauce until the pasta is ready (around 3 minutes) and then add 1/2 cup of pasta water. Add the cooked pasta and toss until evenly coated, serve with an extra grating of parmesan.

Kitchen notes

• Don't overcook the pasta, for al dente you should cook dried penne pasta for around 8-10 minutes. Every brand will be slightly different but always check your pasta after 8 minutes and keep an eye on it because overcooked pasta is the worst!
• Choose Gorgonzola dolce and not piccante.
• Leave the gorgonzola out of the fridge for a few hours (4-6) if possible you will notice a difference in flavour but if you can't manage it you can still use it straight from the fridge.
• Add the pasta to the sauce, not the other way round, you want the pasta to soak up every last drop.
• The sauce should coat the pasta and there shouldn't be any runny creamy sauce swimming around at the bottom.
• If the sauce is too thick for your liking add a little more pasta water.
• Don't be tempted to add more cheese or cream or the sauce will become too rich and sickly (we've tried).
• You can make the sauce in advance and let it cool and store in the fridge. It will probably thicken so add a little pasta water or if not making it for pasta add a touch of milk to loosen it.
• The pasta is best served immediately.