Equipment
Ingredients
Pasta and Sauce
- 250 g fresh linguine
- 100 g gorgonzola dolce, chopped
- 80 ml heavy cream
- 45 ml white wine
- 40 g parmesan, finely grated
- 15 g unsalted butter
- 2 garlic, finely chopped
- 3 g fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 2 g salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
Garnish
- 25 g pecans
- ½ lemon, zested
- 5 g dark chocolate, grated
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 770 kcal
- Protein
- 28 g
- Carbohydrates
- 46 g
- Fat
- 52 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 1504 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 28 g
- Trans Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 12 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Cholesterol
- 75 mg
- Potassium
- 223 mg
- Calcium
- 300 mg
- Iron
- 2.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 59 mg
- Phosphorus
- 287 mg
- Zinc
- 2.0 mg
- Vitamin A
- 436 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 4 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.7 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.9 mg
- Vitamin K
- 4 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.3 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.45 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.34 mg
- Niacin
- 2.4 mg
- Folate
- 98 mcg
- Water
- 131 g
- Alcohol
- 2 g
- Caffeine
- 1 mg
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Spread pecans on the tray and toast for 5 minutes, shaking the tray halfway through.
Let the pecans cool, then roughly chop them and set aside.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil for the linguine.
Melt butter in a frying pan over medium-low heat and sauté garlic and thyme for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
Pour in the heavy cream and white wine, then simmer the mixture gently for 1 minute.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the gorgonzola and parmesan until the cheeses have melted.
Cook the linguine in the boiling water for 1 minute less than the package instructions, then drain and reserve 240ml (1 cup) of pasta water.
Add the linguine and 60ml of reserved pasta water to the sauce pan over low heat, stirring to coat the pasta thoroughly.
Stir in the majority of the pecans, lemon zest, and black pepper, then serve topped with remaining pecans and grated dark chocolate.
Chef's Notes
- Using fresh linguine significantly reduces cooking time and provides a better texture for the cream sauce.
- The dark chocolate provides a subtle earthy bitterness that balances the richness of the blue cheese.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store in an airtight container; pasta may soften over time.
Reheating: Reheat gently in a pan over low heat with a splash of water or milk to loosen the sauce.
Troubleshooting
Sauce is grainy or broken
Cause: The heat was too high when the cheese was added, causing the proteins to clump.
Fix: Whisk in a small amount of warm cream vigorously to attempt to re-emulsify.
Prevention: Ensure the pan is removed from the heat source before adding the gorgonzola and parmesan.
Pasta is dry and sauce is too thick
Cause: The pasta absorbed the liquid too quickly or the sauce reduced too much.
Fix: Stir in additional reserved pasta water 15ml at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
Prevention: Always reserve more pasta water than the recipe calls for.
Cultural Context
While gorgonzola itself hails from Lombardy, Italy, creamy pasta sauces are a cornerstone of Italian cuisine, often adapted regionally. This specific dish, with its rich cheese sauce and nutty accents, is a modern interpretation that highlights the versatility of Italian pasta dishes beyond traditional tomato-based sauces.
