I love a quick weeknight dinner that is packed with flavor and this Pasta with Gorgonzola Cream sauce dish really hits the mark. Crisp pancetta, al dente pasta, creamy sauce, and bits of walnut pieces is all that’s needed to create a truly delicious pasta and the ultimate comfort food.
In This Post
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
Gorgonzola is made from unskimmed cow’s milk and is a type of blue cheese from Italy. Gorgonzola is soft, buttery, and creamy and can be used in sauces, crumbled on salads, in desserts, or served on a charcuterie board alongside crackers.
What is Oriecchette
Orecchiette (pronounced “oh-reck-kee-ET-tay”) is a type of pasta that originates from the Puglia region in southern Italy. The name translates to “little ears” in Italian, which reflects the pasta’s distinctive shape—small, round, and slightly domed with a hollow center that resembles an ear.
Ingredients to make Creamy Gorgonzola Pasta
- Pasta – I used orecchiette but penne pasta or other pasta shapes will work
- Gorgonzola Cheese – an Italian blue cheese that is creamy with a tangy flavor
- Olive Oil – or other light flavored oil
- Pancetta – buy pre-cubed pancetta or chop bacon
- Shallots – minced shallot adds a depth of flavor
- Heavy Cream – heavy cream or double cream
- Parmesan Cheese – or parmigiano reggiano
- Garlic – fresh minced garlic cloves
- Spices – kosher salt & ground black pepper
- Italian Parsley – fresh parsley snipped for serving
- Walnut Pieces – toasted walnut pieces adds a nice finishing touch. See below for other options
Find the printable recipe card with exact measurements and step-by-step instructions below.
Substitutes & Variations
- Substitutes: chopped bacon for pancetta.
- Variations: make it nut-free by omitting walnuts. Change nuts to toasted pine nuts or chopped smoked almonds. Add chopped cooked chicken breasts. Add chopped fresh spinach to the cream sauce. Use gluten-free pasta for a gf option.
How to Make Gorgonzola Pasta Sauce
This whole pasta dish comes together while the pasta cooks. The delicious gorgonzola sauce is topped with crisp chunks of pancetta and parsley. By all means, add a little extra parmigiano reggiano at the end if you’re a cheese lover.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta to desired doneness or according to the package instructions.
- While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the pancetta in olive oil until crisp and cooked through. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Turn down to medium heat and add the shallots and saute for 2-3 minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic and gorgonzola cheese and stir to combine. Stir in the heavy cream, 1/2 cup reserved pasta water, parmesan cheese, and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Cook until pasta sauce is thickened slightly, about 4-5 minutes.
- Drain pasta and add to the creamy sauce. Toss to coat the cooked pasta and top with fresh parsley, toasted walnuts, and the crisp pancetta and serve.
What to Serve with Pasta with Gorgonzola Cream
- No-Knead Rustic Bread
- Cheesy Dinner Rolls
- Kale Salad with Garlic Dressing
- Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese Croutons
- Butterhead Salad with Spring Peas
Tips for Storing Leftovers
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days
- Reheat in the microwave on short 1 minute bursts until desired temperature. Add a little cream or milk to make it creamy again.
- Freeze in an airtight container up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature before reheating as stated above.
FAQs About Gorgonzola Cheese
Gorgonzola is a type of blue cheese made from cow’s milk, originating from Italy. It is known for its creamy texture and distinctive blue or green marbling, which is created by adding specific strains of mold during production. It has a tangy, slightly sharp flavor that can range from mild to intense, depending on its age.
1. Gorgonzola (Italy) Made from cow’s milk. Comes in two varieties: Gorgonzola Dolce (mild, creamy, and sweet) and Gorgonzola Piccante (stronger and more crumbly). Flavor profile: Tangy, earthy, and slightly sharp.
2. Roquefort (France) Made from sheep’s milk and aged in the limestone caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon. Creamy yet crumbly texture. Flavor profile: Intense, tangy, and salty with a distinctive aroma.
3. Stilton (England) Made from cow’s milk and aged in specific English counties (e.g., Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire).
Creamy and crumbly with a milder blue veining than others. Flavor profile: Rich, nutty, and slightly sweet.
4. Danish Blue (Denmark) Also known as Danablu and made from cow’s milk. Soft and creamy texture with prominent blue veining. Flavor profile: Salty and sharp, but less intense than Roquefort.
5. Cabrales (Spain) Made from a mix of cow, goat, and sheep’s milk (or just cow’s milk in some cases). Aged in natural caves in Asturias, Spain. Flavor profile: Spicy, tangy, and very robust with an assertive aroma.
6. Maytag Blue (USA) Made from cow’s milk in Iowa, USA. Dense and crumbly texture with mild veining. Flavor profile: Buttery, tangy, and not as sharp as European blue cheeses.
7. Bleu d’Auvergne (France) Made from cow’s milk in the Auvergne region of France. Creamy and moist with well-distributed blue veining. Flavor profile: Mild, earthy, and slightly spicy.
More Recipes We Love
Here are a few more pasta recipes for cozy weeknight dinners.
- Creamy Sausage and Pea Pasta
- Quick Herb Chicken Pasta
- Summer Vegetable Pesto Pasta
- Beet Pasta Carbonara
- Pasta with Pears & Blue Cheese
Pasta with Gorgonzola Cream Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb orecchiette pasta, or other small pasta
- 4 oz diced pancetta, or bacon
- ½ cup minced shallots, approx. 2 med shallots
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 5 oz gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving if desired
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- kosher salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp fresh Italian Parsley, minced
- 2 tbsp walnut pieces, toasted
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta to desired doneness or according to the package.
- While the pasta cooks heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the pancetta in olive oil until crisp and cooked through. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Turn down to medium heat and add the shallots and saute for 2-3 minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic and gorgonzola cheese and stir to combine. Stir in the heavy cream, 1/2 cup reserved pasta water, parmesan cheese, and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Cook until pasta sauce is thickened slightly, about 4-5 minutes.
- Drain pasta and add to the creamy sauce. Toss the cooked pasta to coat and top with fresh parsley, toasted walnuts, and the crisp pancetta and serve.
Save this Recipe!
Easily save this recipe to your own recipe collection box and come back to it anytime you want!
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is not guaranteed to be accurate.
Did you try this recipe?
Please Leave a Review & Star Rating!
Hi! I’m Heather
I’m Heather, a recipe developer and content creator based in Vancouver, Washington. I started Farmgirl Gourmet in 2006 because I believed weeknight dinners shouldn’t be boring and gourmet shouldn’t mean complicated. I’m also the co-founder of Spiceology, so safe to say I think about food for a living. Stick around for recipes that actually make it into your regular rotation.
Hey Heather!
I’ve been making this pasta for years! I’d usually use it as my 3rd date pasta dinner 😉 I first had this pasta at a small Italian restaurant in Arlington, MA.
I like the addition of pancetta or bacon! Instead of walnets I use chopped unsalted roasted pistachios. Try that variation!
pistachios sound great too!! Thanks for the suggestion! Hope you’re doing awesome Marsh. ~h