Making Me Pay

In response to my scurrilous insinuation that slow food is for old people with time on their hands, and  therefore just not fast enough for us fast moving modern types, Judith Greenwood sent me one of her very quick to rustle up recipes to try.

Alas, this week has been a wee bit chaotic what with the little one being in hospital after his operation, so I have not had time to cook up Judith’s fast slow food based creation.  So I thought maybe someone else may like to have a go.  What follows certainly is a delicious sounding recipe.

Pasta with Gorgonzola and Pecans by Judith Greenwood

What you will need.

• About 280 grams (10 ounces) of penne pasta

• A huge pot of water

• A small handful of salt

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil

• A small onion, chopped somewhat finely

• A couple of handfuls of coarsely chopped pecans

• 250 grams (8 ounces – a typical package) of Gorgonzola dolce or other mild blue cheese, broken or cut into smallish pieces

The Method

Start the pasta water to boil. When the water is boiling, add the salt and the pasta and stir

In a heavy frying pan, heat the oil, and add the onion, cooking it slowly until it is softened.  Add the pecans and stir about to toast and crisp them.  Then add the broken up cheese to the fried onions and pecans, stirring to help it melt.  Ladle a small amount of the pasta cooking water into the pan to make the sauce creamier.  At this point, the pasta should be about done and it should be quite firm.

Drain the pasta and toss it into the frying pan, stirring to coat the pasta with the sauce.  Taste for salt and correct if necessary.  Note that some cheeses are saltier than others, so you can’t tell ahead whether you’ll need extra salt or not.  Serve immediately, smoking hot.

Warning: This is a fast sauce.  If it is cooked too long or cooked and reheated it will become lumpy and unpleasant.  Gorgonzola piccante (spicy/hot) is very unpleasant in this sauce.

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Many thanks to Judith for this fast slow food.  It certainly sounds good and quick, and aside from the ‘zola and the pecans, these are everyday ingredients to be found in most peoples’ kitchens.

Must have a go this weekend, and try it out on the young one too.  My only slight reservations revolve around the gorgonzola, which may be a little strong for the little ones, and the pecans, which might be a little fattening for us big ones.

Still, as they say ‘the proof of the pudding is in the eating’.

Judith Greenwood, a private chef who works out of Citta di Castello down in Umbria, has been serving up Italian food for over 10 years. She also runs a Discover la cucina italiana: Italian Cookery course, and, aside from her extensive knowledge of Italian cuisine, she can even help you find the best made to measure clothes in her part of Italy.