Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Tasty Tuesdays: Gorgonzola, Spinach, & Toasted Walnut Rigatoni


Welcome to Tasty Tuesdays!

I hope your week is off to a great start.  We are finally enjoying warm weather again here in Michigan - it feels great!  I made this recipe two weeks ago.  The same weekend I made the spinach tart.  Both recipes called for spinach & heavy cream.  A strange coincidence that I did not plan out!

The original recipe is from Fine Cooking and can be found here.  I originally saw the recipe pinned on Pinterest and was lead to the blog Bev Cooks.


Ingredients:

- 8 oz. fresh baby spinach leaves (10 lightly packed cups)
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
- 12 oz. dried rigatoni or similar pasta like penne (3-1/2 cups)
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cupcrumbled Gorgonzola or blue cheese
- 3 Tbs. thinly sliced fresh chopped chives
- salt & pepper

1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center position.  Toast walnuts on rimmed baking sheet for 6-8 minutes.  remove from oven and set aside.

2.  Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Put the spinach in a colander and set in sink.


3.  Cook the penne according to package directions. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta in the colander over the spinach (this wilt wilt the spinach perfectly).



4.  Put the cream, Gorgonzola, 1/4 tsp. pepper, and a pinch of salt in a skillet and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, add the pasta and spinach, and 2 Tbs. each of the walnuts and chives. Cook, stirring constantly, until some of the sauce is absorbed by the pasta, about 2 minutes. If necessary, add some of the cooking water to moisten the pasta. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowls, sprinkle with the remaining 2 Tbs. walnuts and 1 Tbs. chives, and serve.

A pretty easy recipe, right?  I really liked how quick it was to cook.




I'm a big fan of Gorgonzola, but was pleased to find that the flavor was not overwhelming in this dish.  Definitely an easy pasta dish that I would make again.

What did you cook this week?

Party Rules:
1.  Add a link to the post you are linking up back to this post
OR
2.  Add the Tasty Tuesday button to the post you are linking up.  You will find the button and code on my sidebar.  Thanks!


23 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness - this looks amazing!

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  2. Hi,
    I shared a recipe for Cultured Apple, Carrot and Raisin Chutney and an article about Spirulina a super food. Also a an article about the antibiotic resistant bacteria and what to do about it.

    Join the fun in the giveaway for a Spirulina product called Proselem – a two month supply worth $120.00 and three winners -- $360.00 total!

    Thanks for hosting!

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  3. This looks wonderful! Will definately have to try it! :)

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  4. This looks so good. Once our diet allows for pastas, I will try this one.
    xo bj

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  5. Gorgonzola in pasta is pretty much one of my most favorite things to eat. I literally just want to put my entire face into this dish. Yummy!

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  6. I have fresh spinach coming out my ears (thanks garden!) and can't wait to make this. My kids love pasta and I love spinach, so it's a winning combo at our house :) Thanks!

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  7. Ooh, looks delicious Beege! Great pictures too.

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  8. Your pasta recipe looked great. It looks so light and fresh. I shared a spinach pasts recipe as well, but a heavy, cheesy variety that my boys love with homemade whole wheat noodles. I am going to show our four-year-old (a budding foodie) your recipe and see if he'd like to try it for variety. Yum.

    Thank you for hosting this link-up!

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  9. YUM! Last night I made spicy garlic shrimp and chicken linguine with a sundried tomato pesto - the kids were inhaling it! My family LOVES pasta dishes, I need to pin yours!

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  10. while i never plan to use heavy cream for 2 recipes in a row (hello, thunder thighs!), I usually end up doing it anyway just to use it all up before it goes off... and ya know what? thunder thighs it is. and i'm proud of that fact :)

    this week I've linked up Part 2 of Why 3 Ways Are a Good Idea: Scratch Gnocchi in a Truffled Mixed Mushroom Frenzy with crispy sage and of course a little brown butter action :)

    Happy linky party day and thanks for hosting!

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  11. apparently my mind is in the gutter these past 2 weeks.. on GS I've posted why 3 ways are a good idea and on Taste Buds I've been "beeting" off...

    note to self: food does not = sexy times.

    Seriously though, this week i've linked up a Beet Chocolate Cake with homemade vanilla icing. Dense, chocolately, beety, heaven. :)

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  12. Mmmmm ... what a magical combination - spinach, cream, and walnuts. This week I shared a black bean and corn salad. SUPER easy and perfect for grilling season!

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  13. Mmmmm ... what a magical combination - spinach, cream, and walnuts. This week I shared a black bean and corn salad. SUPER easy and perfect for grilling season!

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  14. Hi, thank you for hosting this party! I am trying to add your party button to my blog, but unfortunately it doedoesnt work . May be u could help me out please? thanks!

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  15. sorry for inconvenience - i corrected your html

    - works now. Thank you

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  16. Hi Alissa! Thanks so much for hosting. That pasta looks delish! Although I'm not a fan of "stinky" cheeses, heehee. But I bet I could swap it out with some herb goat cheese. What do you think? =)

    ~ Catie

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  17. Oh my GOODNESS! Sounds amazing, as usual. I have everything but the cream. Darn it. It's goin' on Pinterest.....

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  18. Another yummy recipe!! I've been on a pasta kick lately so I'll have to give this a try!

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  19. I shared my Chocolate Peanut Butter
    Tall Stack Cake today. Thanks for hosting!!

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  20. Okay so I couldn't help myself. I also linked up our CSA for week #12 because I got some stellar news/changes this week and just HAD to share!

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  21. Looks really delicious and healthy too!

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