Strascinati Pugliesi with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce & Crisp Candied Bacon Recipe
Sinkology is proud to present Emily Schuermann, our food-loving guest blogger who runs Food for a Year. Emily is here to share some recipes she has created exclusively for the Sinkology blog that reflect her view of a copper sink: simple, timeless, affordable and beautifully rustic.
With the first bite, this delicious pasta will knock the socks right off of your feet — or at least it will make you want to lick your bowl, the serving spoon and the saucepot. It buckled my knees – in that “did I just make this?!” sort of way that happens when I strike recipe gold.
Maybe it was because of the misty, dark fall weather we have been experiencing, or because I had missed lunch and was beyond the point of hungry or maybe ((which is what I believe to be the case)) it was because that first bite was unexpectedly “fancy restaurant quality” within the Italian border g.o.o.d. Whatever the reason, with the taste & simple preparation of this meal, I knew – this would be the December recipe for Sinkology.
As tasty as this recipe is, it is equally easy to make. Just grab:
- your favorite type of pasta
- a wedge of gorgonzola
- heavy cream
- a pinch of cane sugar
- black pepper
- a handful of fresh chives & Italian parsley
I prefer a shape of pasta that is able hold onto a lot of sauce – like this Strascinati Pugliesi. The Strascinati Pugliesi acts like little bowls for the gorgonzola cream sauce, maximizing my sauce to pasta ratio ((yes, the sauce has always been my favorite part!)). Amazon is a good resource for these lesser known specialty pastas, but if you can’t get your hands on this variety, farfalle, campanelle and fusilli ((just to name a few)) are excellent choices as well.
Now for the longest, and truthfully hardest part of this recipe — boiling the pasta. You know it is a manageable recipe if cooking the pasta is the gauge of difficulty!! Simply boil 8 ounces of dried pasta according to the package directions. While the pasta is boiling, add the cream, gorgonzola, black pepper and a pinch of sugar to a medium saucepan, over a medium flame. Once the cheese is fully incorporated into the sauce, set the sauce aside until the pasta is cooked to perfection & drained.
Once the pasta is drained, one minute ((maybe 2 if you’re slow)) stands between you and dinner! Combine the sauce and the pasta, add a handful of chopped fresh herbs AND if you are wanting an extra treat, top with a heap of candied bacon crumbles. The candied bacon sounds much harder to make than it really is ((3 ingredients and 25 minutes in the oven is it!)), and that added salty/sweet crunch really puts this dish over the top. Check out the entire Candied Pepper Bacon recipe over at Food for a Year.
And, within the time it takes to boil a bag of pasta ((plus one minute to combine & plate)), dinner is served.
No passport, no fancy restaurant & no slaving away in the kitchen needed! This simple, rustic and gorgeously delicious meal is a “must make” for sure!
- 8 oz dried pasta, I used Strascinati Pugliesi
- 6 oz gorgonzola, crumbled
- 1 1/4 c heavy cream
- 1/2 t cane sugar
- 1/2 t black pepper ((more or less to taste))
- 3 T each fresh chives & Italian parsley, chopped
- 4-5 strips of candied pepper bacon, chopped ((for garnish, optional))
- Boil pasta according to package directions. While pasta is boiling, combine the remaining ingredients ((not the herbs)) in a medium saucepan. Bring to a low simmer over medium flame, stirring until gorgonzola is melted. Turn off the flame and set aside until pasta is finished cooking.
- Once the pasta is cooked to perfection and drained, return it to the pasta pot and pour the gorgonzola cream sauce over the pasta. Top with chopped herbs, stirring to combine and serve. Garnish with candied bacon if desired.