Tagliatelle in Gorgonzola Sauce

Ok so this is very similar to a recipe I have already tried, and I love all the ingredients that make up this dish. It wasn’t bad, the different textures all go together really well, and the flavours compliment each other, my only complaint was that the original recipe had walnuts in it, which I love but mine were really bitter after I had sautéed them, so I didn’t add them to the final recipe. I suspect that, that had more to do with the way I had sautéed them rather than a fault with the recipe, if you decide you want to add the chopped walnuts to this recipe, sweat the walnuts in butter and oil. I would try and peel the skins off as best you can too before adding them to the final dish. Other than that we really enjoyed this recipe.

 

Tagliatelle in Gorgonzola sauce

2tbsp olive oil

1tbsp butter

1-2 garlic cloves, crushed

100g fresh spinach, rinsed and stems removed

200ml cream

Salt and black pepper

Nutmeg

400g Tagliatelle

120g gorgonzola, crumbled

1. Put the oil and butter into a hot skillet and cook the garlic for a couple of minutes, then add the spinach and cook for a couple of minutes, just to wilt it.
2. Stir in the cream and season to taste with salt and pepper and the nutmeg. If you are using nutmeg for the first time I would suggest careful seasoning, a little at a time, you can always add more but you can’t take it out once it’s in there. Season and taste!
3. Cook the Tagliatelle according to the package directions, then drain and return to the pan adding the creamy sauce and spinach mixture, toss to coat the pasta.
4. Just before serving add the gorgonzola and toss again to incorporate and allow it to melt a little, then serve.

 

Green Veggies Pasta and Blue Cheese

This is another recipe, where the original was made with ricotta, sometimes though as I have already mentioned, it’s just not for us and this was one of those occasions, so I bought a cheap brand of cream cheese and used that instead and I also didn’t include the coriander, also not a fan of that soapy taste. My added extras to this recipe were the runner beans, asparagus and mushrooms. A perfectly simple but tasty, busy week night meal!

Green Veggies Pasta and Blue Cheese

I added extra green vegetables, runner beans, asparagus, and mushrooms which I sautéed with the scallions/spring onions

4-6 scallions

100 grams mushrooms
400 grams spinach tagliatelle (or other mixed green vegetables, totalling 400 grams)
150 grams cream cheese
150 grams blue cheese
150 grams crème fraîche
1 tbsp coriander
coarse sea salt and pepper
few sprigs of corriander/cilantro (optional, I don't add it because we don't like it)

1. Trim the spring onions/scallions and finely chop them.

2. Cook the tagliatelle in a large pan of boiling salted water, until al dente. Whilst at the same time cooking the other veggies until al dente.

3. While the pasta and veggies are cooking, in a bowl mix together the cream cheese, blue cheese and the crème fraîche.

4. Drain the pasta thoroughly and turn into a heated serving dish. Immediately add the cheese mixture, spring onion/scallions and other veggies, toss to coat. Garnish with coriander sprigs (if you wish to).

Servings: 4

Price Of Shrimp

One of the things I loved most about America, was the ability to go shopping and pretty much get everything I wanted under one roof. The only thing better than that, was the fish counter, catfish, tilapia, cod, salmon, tuna and shrimp, to name but a few. Oh my goodness the shrimp, big tasty shrimp, fresh ones. Simple things I guess please simple people, that or I just appreciate how lucky I was? Here in Germany you pay almost double for fish and it's all frozen and lacking in flavour and quality. I worked it out and I am paying $18.00 for a pound of shrimp, I was getting 5lbs for that in the States, admittedly it was frozen bargain Shrimp but it was still better quality, for fresh shrimp was paying around $7.00 per pound in America, I think or there abouts.

The reason for talking the price of fish? Shrimp tagliatelle, the thing I like about this recipe, is that it takes minimum effort to make it with all fresh ingredients, but looks and tastes as though lots of effort has been out into it. It's another one of those ones you have to admire for what it is. Simply put it's almost genius.



Shrimp Tagliatelle

2 tbsp evoo (extra virgin olive oil)
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove
3/4lb (375g) mushrooms
1lb (500g) tomatoes peeled, seeded and chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1lb (500g) tagliatelle
3/4lb (375g) prawns
1/2 cup (125g) light sour cream

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet, add the onion and the garlic, cooking gently, stirring for 5 minutes, until glassy but not browned. Add the mushrooms and cook on a high heat for about another 5 minutes.

2. Now add your tomatoes, season with salt and pepper to taste and simmer gently, until the mixture thickens

3. Cook the tagliatelle according to package directions.

4. Add the sour cream and shrimp to the tomato mixture and cook on a low heat until the shrimp are heated through

5. Serve the shrimp on a bed of the pasta.


Most disappointed as I don't have a photo to go with this one!! :o(