Description
This Quick Stovetop Fondue Cheese Pasta is a delicious way to transform leftover cheeses into a creamy, indulgent pasta dish topped with a crunchy, savory nut and herb breadcrumb mixture. Ready in just 35 minutes, it's perfect for a comforting weeknight dinner that serves six.
Ingredients
For the Crispy Topping
- 3 Slices Stale Bread
- 1 Clove Garlic (peeled)
- 1 tsp Fresh Rosemary
- 50 g Mixed Nuts
For the Pasta and Cheese Sauce
- 500 g Dried Pasta
- 80 g Mascarpone Cheese
- 80 g Mature Cheddar Cheese
- 50 g Emmental Cheese
- 50 g Gruyère Cheese
- 50 g Blue Cheese (Dolcelatte or Stilton)
- 1 tsp Nutmeg
- 4 tbsp Cream
- Olive Oil (for frying)
- Salt (for pasta water)
Instructions
- Prepare the crispy topping: Toast the stale bread slices until crisp, then place them in a food processor with the peeled garlic clove, fresh rosemary leaves, and mixed nuts. Blend until the mixture is fine and well combined.
- Toast the topping mixture: Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Add the crispy topping mix and fry for about 5 minutes, tossing occasionally until golden brown and evenly toasted. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil and cook the dried pasta according to the packet instructions until al dente.
- Prepare the cheese sauce: While the pasta cooks, grate or crumble all the cheeses. In a saucepan over low heat, add the mascarpone cheese and the grated cheeses along with freshly grated nutmeg. Stir continuously until the cheeses melt smoothly. Turn off the heat and hold the sauce warm.
- Drain the pasta: Drain the cooked pasta, reserving about one cup of the pasta cooking water in case you need to adjust the sauce consistency.
- Finish the sauce: Return the saucepan to low heat and gently stir in the cream to the cheese mixture until fully combined and heated through.
- Toss pasta with sauce: Add the drained pasta to the cheese sauce, tossing well to coat each piece evenly. If the sauce feels too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water a little at a time to loosen it until the desired texture is reached.
- Serve: Transfer the cheesy pasta to a serving bowl or individual plates and generously sprinkle the crispy nut and bread topping over each portion. Serve immediately for best texture and flavor.
Notes
- Use day-old or stale bread for the crispy topping to ensure it toasts well and becomes crunchy.
- If you prefer a milder blue cheese flavor, substitute with Dolcelatte; for a stronger taste, use Stilton.
- Reserve pasta water carefully to adjust sauce consistency without watering down flavors.
- To make this dish vegetarian, ensure the cheeses used are free from animal rennet.
- This recipe is best served fresh as the crispy topping can lose its crunch if left to sit.
