Equipment
Ingredients
Pasta
- 400 g rigatoni pasta
- 15 g kosher salt
Gorgonzola Sauce
- 120 ml heavy cream
- 150 g gorgonzola dolce, cubed
- 100 g fresh arugula, washed and dried
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 613 kcal
- Protein
- 23 g
- Carbohydrates
- 78 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 1907 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 14 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 62 mg
- Potassium
- 447 mg
- Calcium
- 282 mg
- Iron
- 3.9 mg
- Magnesium
- 76 mg
- Phosphorus
- 365 mg
- Zinc
- 2.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 227 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 4 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.7 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin K
- 30 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.5 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.92 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.62 mg
- Niacin
- 7.7 mg
- Folate
- 276 mcg
- Water
- 66 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil.
Add the rigatoni and cook until al dente according to package directions, typically about 10 minutes.
Scoop out and reserve 100ml of the starchy pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta in a colander.
While the pasta drains, place a large deep skillet over medium-low heat and gently warm the heavy cream to approximately 70C/160F to prevent scalding.
Add the gorgonzola dolce chunks to the warm cream. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until completely melted into a smooth, velvety sauce.
Add the drained rigatoni to the skillet with the gorgonzola sauce, tossing well to coat the noodles. If the sauce feels too thick, splash in the reserved pasta water 15ml at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
Remove the skillet entirely from the heat. Add the fresh arugula and freshly ground black pepper, gently folding the mixture until the arugula is just slightly wilted from the residual heat.
Serve immediately in warmed bowls while the sauce is highly emulsified and creamy.
Chef's Notes
- Gorgonzola dolce is strongly preferred over Gorgonzola piccante for this recipe. Dolce is younger, sweeter, and melts beautifully into a cream sauce, whereas piccante is crumblier and can result in a grainy texture.
- The starch in the reserved pasta water is your best tool for adjusting the consistency of the final sauce without adding more heavy cream. It also acts as an emulsifier.
- Do not salt the sauce until the very end, and taste it first. Blue cheeses are naturally high in sodium, and the heavily salted pasta water will impart seasoning to the dish.
- If adhering strictly to a vegetarian diet, verify the Gorgonzola is produced using microbial or plant-based rennet, as traditional DOP Gorgonzola utilizes animal rennet.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Cream sauce may separate slightly upon reheating.
Reheating: Reheat very gently on the stovetop with a splash of milk or water to restore the emulsion.
Troubleshooting
Sauce is broken, oily, or clumpy
Cause: The cheese was melted over heat that was too high, causing the dairy fats to separate from the proteins.
Fix: Vigorously whisk in a splash of the reserved hot, starchy pasta water to help pull the emulsion back together.
Prevention: Always melt the cheese gently over medium-low heat and do not let the cream vigorously boil.
Arugula turned dark grey and excessively mushy
Cause: The arugula was cooked over direct heat for too long rather than wilted off the heat.
Fix: Cannot be fixed.
Prevention: Only fold the greens in once the pan has been completely removed from the heat source.
Cultural Context
Gorgonzola is a historically protected, raw cow's milk blue cheese hailing from the Lombardy and Piedmont regions of northern Italy. Pairing its intense, rich, and creamy profile with the sharp, bitter bite of raw arugula, known as rucola in Italy, is a classic regional flavor balancing act. The pepperiness of the greens cuts through the high butterfat content, preventing the dish from feeling overly heavy on the palate.
