Blue Cheese Walnut Penne
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Penne tossed in a creamy sauce with blue cheese and toasted walnuts. White wine deglazes sautéed shallots and garlic, melding into a rich cream base. Fresh chives and aged Parmesan add fresh and nutty layers. Variations include swapping blue cheese for gorgonzola and walnuts for toasted pecans. Quick al dente pasta enriched with a sharp, melting cheese sauce that clings luxuriously. Sharp, nutty, herbaceous contrast keeps it lively. Simple pantry staples transform into something robust. Uses visual and tactile cues over strict timing. No eggs, vegetarian friendly. Serves 4 hungry diners.
Prep:
10 min
Cook:
20 min
Total:
30 min
Servings:
4 servings
#Italian-inspired
#vegetarian
#nutty pasta
#cream sauce
#white wine cooking
Cooking pasta with a creamy blue cheese sauce is deceptively simple but easy to tangle. I’ve learned that the balance between melting the cheese gently and making sure the pasta stays al dente makes or breaks it. Walnuts add crunch and nuttiness that snaps against the creamy sauce; switching for pecans gives a warmer, sweeter tone. Wine cuts the richness with acid, but too much leaves bitterness. I lean heavily on visuals and smells — shallots translucent, garlic fragrant but not browned, wine reduced to a glossy sheen on the pan. Toss sauce while warm, hold off chives ’til the last moment to keep that sharp punch intact. Taking shortcuts on timing ends in gloppy mess or undercooked pasta. Failure = sogginess or grainy sauce. Success = a tangle of creamy, sharp, nutty, and fresh bites. My go-to comfort dish with a decent bite and good texture interplay.
Ingredients
- 425 g penne or other short pasta
- 1 medium shallot minced
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 40 ml olive oil
- 150 ml dry white wine
- 150 ml heavy cream 15–35 %
- 100 g gorgonzola cubes
- 200 ml toasted pecan pieces
- 125 ml grated aged pecorino romano
- 50 ml fresh chives chopped
- Salt and pepper
About the ingredients
Using pecans instead of walnuts shifts flavor toward sweeter nuttiness and makes chopping easier. Feel free to swap gorgonzola or Stilton for stronger or milder blue cheese; each has distinct melt behaviors — softer blue cheese melts quickly but can separate if overheated. Higher fat cream keeps sauce stable. Shallots bring gentler sweetness than onions, but onions work if you’re scrappy, cooking them a bit longer till softened. Olive oil doesn’t have to be fancy but mustn’t smoke — burning olive oil overpowers aroma. White wine should be dry; avoid sweet wines that clash with blue cheese. Chives go in last for brightness and sharp herbal contrast. Parmigiano reggiano replacement? Pecorino romano gives tang and salt punch. Salt sauce carefully as blue cheese and cheese add plenty. Toast nuts in dry pan on medium; watch and stir often — smell marks doneness better than time. Partial to cooking the pasta and sauce in same pot — less washing, leftover starch thickens sauce slightly.
Method
- Boil large pot salted. Watch for pasta swelling and surface bubbles — toss in penne. Stir immediately to avoid stickiness. Cook till firm but tender, about 10–12 minutes, bite test your ally. Drain, toss with small drizzle of oil, stir to coat. Keeps pasta loose while awaiting sauce.
- Clean same pot, warm olive oil until shimmering but not smoking. Toss shallots in. Stir gently; soft translucence signals readiness. Add garlic, stir carefully, just until aroma rises. Overcooked? Bitter. Season lightly with salt and pepper now.
- Splash white wine. Listen for pop and sizzle as it hits the hot pan. Stir, reduce heat a little. Simmer to near dryness; watch liquid coat the pan bottom. One minute tops to avoid overpowering acidity.
- Pour cream in, stir steadily. Lower heat. Toss in gorgonzola cubes slowly, stir until melted but not grainy. Melt process delicate; too fierce heat breaks fats — cream breaks, sauce separates. Adjust heat accordingly.
- Add drained pasta back in. Fold gently, coating. Toss in pecans. Warm through 3–4 minutes. Watch for sauce thickening, clinging to noodles. Final taste check; balance salt and pepper. Chives last — stir in just before plating, preserve fresh brightness.
- Serve with generous sprinkle of pecorino. Garnish handful extra chives if you’re feeling extra herbal punch.
- Common fix: sauce too thin? Let simmer a bit longer, stir frequently. Sauce too thick? Splash more cream or white wine. Missing acidity? Add squeeze lemon juice or splash more wine after cream melts. Nuts can be toasted ahead or quick dry pan — watch for nutty aroma, not burnt.
Cooking tips
Watch pasta as it cooks — bubbles intensify, noodles swell, texture firms but still has bite. Drain and oil immediately to prevent sticking. Use same pan for sauce to harness residual fond flavor from shallots. Shallots translucent with softened color means they’ve lost sharpness without browning. Garlic releases fragrance fast; too much cooking turns bitter. Wine reduction seen as loss of volume, increased sheen on bottom — don’t over boil or burnt edge bitterness creeps in. Melt blue cheese gently; temperature key to avoid graininess or separation for creamy coating. Folding pasta and nuts in sauce on low heat ensures even distribution and temperature without crushing pasta. Adjust salt and pepper at the end — salt too early can stiffen cheese sauce or overshoot saltiness. Storing leftovers? Sauce thickens a lot — loosen with splash cream or milk, reheat gently waving off high heat. Final garnish adds visual and taste layer — fresh herbs warm quickly; if added too early, they wilt and dry out. No eggs means you can skip worrying about curdling, but mixture sensitive to temperature and stirring rhythm. Think moderation in heat, gentle folding. I learned the hard way — hauling pasta out early ruins the mouthfeel, letting it stand in sauce too long turns mush.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Cook pasta till firm but not mushy - bubbles swell, surface shimmer. Drain fast, toss with little oil right away. Prevent clumps; starch sticky but not gluey. Watch closely, rely on feel not clock. Drain doesn't equal done, bite tests always backup.
- 💡 Heat olive oil medium low till shimmer - never smoke. Add shallots first, stir gentle till translucent and soft, no browning that turns bitter. Garlic next, short stir till fragrant not dark. Aroma signals done stage, cooking too long makes sharp bitterness creep in fast.
- 💡 Deglaze pan with dry white wine, listen for pop, sizzle. Reduce heat slightly to simmer. Let wine reduce almost dry - thin layer, glossy bottom visible. Too long burns acidity; too little leaves harsh sharp flavor. One minute tops after bubbling starts is sweet spot worked out by smell and sheen.
- 💡 Add cream slow, stir steady, keep heat low. Toss in blue cheese cubes gently, melt just till smooth but not grainy. Watch for fat break - sauce separates if heat too high or rushed stirring. Cream fat percentage critical; higher fat steadies sauce, too low risks curdling.
- 💡 Fold drained pasta into sauce on low heat - gentle toss, no smashing. Add toasted nuts last for crunchy burst, warm through 3-4 minutes. Sauce thickens, clings to noodles, texture shifts. Reserve chives for final stir-in, preserves fresh sharpness over heat loss.
Common questions
How long to cook penne without mush?
Watch bubbles swell, surface change; texture still firm but soft. Bite test always best. 10-12 minutes average but varies by brand. Drain once teeth feel slight resistance. Keep little starchy water for sauce runoff if needed.
Can other nuts replace walnuts?
Yes, pecans popular swap for sweeter notes and easier chopping. Toast nuts dry pan till aroma hits your nose — no burns. Almonds or hazelnuts also work, different crunch and flavor. Adjust stirring time to warm without softening nuts too much.
Sauce broke — what now?
Heat too high or cheese melted too fast. Lower heat immediately, stir gently but consistently. Add splash cream if dry or break starts. If really separated, whisk cold cream in off heat to rescue smoothness. Patience with temperature key here.
Leftovers storage?
Store tight container fridge. Sauce thickens, loosen with splash cream or milk reheated gently. Skip microwave high heat; stove slow warm retains sauce integrity. Pasta absorbs sauce overnight, may need extra liquid to refresh texture. Eat within 2 days best.
