A Twist on a Family Pasta Favorite

Several articles I’ve read about being a “good blogger” suggest that bloggers shouldn’t apologize for not posting, because it draws attention to the fact that they haven’t posted when, actually, no one had noticed in the first place.  But its been 17 days since I’ve written a “real” post, and even that was just Highlights, so it’s really been 18 days and that really annoys me.  So, this is not an apology, its an explanation.  Because I suspect some people noticed that I went from several posts a week to no posts for several weeks.  And I’m not happy about it.

Between April 29 and now, I’ve been sick, gone to my sister’s senior art exhibit, gotten almost healthy, studied my butt off for a teacher licensure test, taken the test, done a ton of lesson planning, grading and trying to figure out this summer, gone to my sister’s graduation from college and gotten sicker than I was the first time (visiting the doctor tomorrow).

You may notice that neither cooking nor blogging is in the above list.  Luckily for you, I’m in quarantine tonight instead of at bible study, so I have the time to share what I finally made when I got myself into the kitchen last night.

Last spring, before I got married, my mother gave me a bunch of recipes that my family eats regularly to get my started in my new life.  One of them, Farfalle with Gorgonzola and Walnuts, is a family favorite that’s simple and delicious.   I made a few adjustments to make it more vegetarian-friendly and balanced.  Enjoy!

Pasta and Broccoli in Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

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Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

• 13.25 oz 1 box whole wheat pasta, any shape. (I used rotini this time around)
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 3/4 cup vegetable broth
• 4 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola Adjust to taste
• 3/4 lb. broccoli
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

 

• Cook  and drain the pasta according to the directions on the package.  Return the drained pasta to the pot.
• While the pasta is cooking, dice the broccoli, stem and all.  It's all edible--don't just use the florets!
• In a small saucepan, combine the half and half with the vegetable broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.  After boiling, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the Gorgonzola and salt and pepper to taste.  Whisk until melted and smooth.
• Add the broccoli and cook it until it's as tender as you want it.  If you want it really tender, you may want to steam it separately.  I like my vegetables pretty raw, so I just added the broccoli to the sauce, mixed it in, and moved on.
• Pour the sauce and broccoli mixture over the pasta and stir to combine evenly.  Top with chopped walnuts before serving.
• Enjoy!

Notes

Adapted from Good Housekeeping