Blue Cheese Pasta with Walnuts

These notes are here to help make this recipe a success; they cover some but not all ingredients. For a complete ingredient list, check out the recipe card below.

Blue cheese: You can use any blue cheese that you like. You can crumble it from a block or buy blue cheese crumbles at the grocery store. Also, you can use up little bits of cheese left over from a cheese board. I store blue cheese in the freezer tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.
Pasta: I love this with a small pasta shape like shells or spirals; the shape holds the sauce well. But you can use long pasta noodles if you prefer.
Heavy cream: The sauce is a mixture of cream and cheese, so you need the heavy cream to ensure the sauce isn't thin and watery. If you substitute for half and half, you will need to thicken the sauce with flour or cornstarch slurry.
Rosemary: Fresh is best here; the oils work so well with the blue cheese and perfume the whole dish. Dried rosemary doesn't work for this recipe, so leave it out if you don't have fresh. Or check out the adaptions/substitutions below for other herbs.

We've tested this recipe at least 3 times to ensure it works well for you. Have a look at our tips for getting the best dish you can!

• The key to creating a smooth blue cheese sauce is to remove the blue cheese from the fridge about 10-20 minutes before you want to start cooking. 
• If you use a block of cheese, crumble it while it is cold, as it will be less messy.
• When you roast nuts in the oven, it is so easy to overcook them and end up with burnt nuts (not good!); set a timer so you will remember them.
• Before draining the pasta, reserve at least a cup of the cooking water. This helps to thin the sauce if it gets too claggy and helps it adhere to the pasta.

These are all just suggestions and things that have worked in our test kitchen, but it is your dinner, so adapt it to suit your family. That is the beauty of cooking; we can all create our own delicious meals.

• Swap the blue cheese for goat's cheese; it will melt into the sauce like blue cheese.
• Swap the walnuts for pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, or pinenuts.
• Instead of nuts, add a crispy pangrattato to the top of the pasta.
• Change your herbs: Swap the fresh rosemary for fresh sage or some chervil. Or skip the herbs and add black pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. A reader suggested this and after trying it I was so happy she did!
• Add chunks of cooked chicken, leftover steak, or roast beef to the sauce when adding the pasta. 
• Add some baby spinach or steamed asparagus spears for extra veg. 
• For a crispy, salty, smoky hit, crumble cooked bacon over the top of the pasta just before you serve. Opt for a mild blue cheese for the sauce to avoid salt overload.

Sides: This rich, creamy pasta is perfect with a side salad and some crusty bread. I like a peppery arugula salad, but you could do a simple green salad. Alternatively, it is an excellent side dish with a pan-seared steak and steamed asparagus.

Wine: The saltiness of the blue cheese wants a wine with a hint of sweetness. An Italian Rose would be perfect, as would a Pinot Gris. Or go for a rich, buttery Chardonnay or an off-dry Riesling. Try an Italian Gavi di Gavi if you dislike off-dry wines. If you want red wine, go for something fruit-forward, like a jammy Zinfandel or Merlot.