Yesterday I was in the mood for pasta. But not in the mood to spend long hours in the kitchen. I just wanted to prepare an easy and delicious creamy sauce that would lovingly encase perfectly cooked pasta. Not too much to ask, right?!?! But then came the dilemma. If I didn’t want to spend time hacking and slashing vegetables, or frying up meat, or even watching over a simmering pot, the dish had to be very, very simple.

I thought about making a simple mac and cheese, but that wasn’t quite what I was after. I wanted a dish that was a bit more decadent. But cheese definitely could be part of the equation. And then I remembered that I had a big old honkin’ tub of Gorgonzola cheese from Costco in my fridge. And ideas started formulating quicker that I could write them down.

I knew I didn’t have any heavy cream available, but then Gorgonzola cheese is already so very rich. Perhaps starting with a simple béchamel sauce would be the better choice regardless of whether or not I had heavy cream at my disposal. Then what else could I include in the sauce to add interest and possibly offset some of the richness? (I’ve eaten too many Gorgonzola sauces that became cloying after just a few bites.)

It just so happened that I had a bit of fresh baby spinach available, so now my plan was really coming together. But what kind of pasta to use?

I so dearly love plain old spaghetti, but I thought this yummy sauce might demand a bit more of a sophisticated partner. So, fettuccini immediately came to mind. And luckily, fettuccini was the perfect choice. Then it was only a matter of what to serve with the pasta. Salad. It had to be a simple salad consisting of lettuce with a fairly acidic dressing to offset the richness of the pasta. And it just so happened that I had recently found a recipe for Savory Italian Dressing (will post in the next couple of days) that I thought would totally fit my needs. So, I made the dressing and chopped up some romaine. Total time spent in the kitchen for both the pasta and salad – about 60 minutes. Yeah!

And I must say, the pasta was delicious. We ate every bit of it. And the salad was perfect. Crunchy from the romaine, and the dressing is one that I will be making over and over. Simple to prepare and so very flavorful. One of the best dressing I have ever tasted.

So, as always – stay safe, stay happy, and keep finding the joy in your life. It’s getting warmer outside and daylight is getting longer. Buds are appearing on trees. And while March may bluster and spit water at us, we know that Mother Earth is in her rejuvenating phase. And I for one am going to let Mother Nature take a crack at revitalizing me too. After all we have gone through in 2020 and what yet remains to be done to keep covid-19 under control, it feels to me like Spring could not have come at a better time.

Peace and love to all.   

3 T. unsalted butter

1 T. flour

1 c. whole milk

1 c. Gorgonzola cheese crumbles

freshly ground black pepper

2 loosely packed c. fresh baby spinach

¼ c. finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

scant 8 oz. fettuccini pasta, cooked al dente (reserve cooking water)

Heat the butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the milk and let burble away until the sauce starts to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in the Gorgonzola cheese until the sauce is smooth, about 2 minutes. Then stir in the black pepper and spinach. Place over low heat and add the al dente pasta and Parmesan cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning. Thin with reserved pasta water if necessary. Serve immediately.