This may sound like a super fancy meal, but it’s actually extremely simple and quick to make, and is a more exciting and nutritious twist on the standard “cheesy pasta”. Cheese and broccoli are a classic combination, and pairing them with walnuts adds a tasty, nourishing crunch. Plus, if you don’t use up all the walnuts, you can have the rest as a great snack throughout the day!
You will need:
- 200g pasta of your choice (gluten-free if you like)
- 1 pack of blue cheese
- Half a head of broccoli florets
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 courgette, chopped
- 1 packet of walnuts (Lidl sell the cheapest I have found so far!)
- 2 tbsp olive oil or butter
- 3 tbsp double cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Heat the oil/melt the butter in a pot, then add the onions and courgettes and cook until softened (around 15 minutes)
- Boil the pasta in a separate pot, adding a pinch of salt and olive oil to the boiling water
- Crumble the blue cheese and add it to the onions and courgettes, then add the walnuts (which will soften with the heat)
- Season this with salt and pepper, and stir regularly
- Once the blue cheese has melted, add the double cream (add more or less, depending on how creamy you want the sauce to be)
- Meanwhile, boil the broccoli for 4 minutes, then drain it and stir it into the blue cheese sauce
- When the blue cheese sauce is nice and creamy, stir in the cooked pasta
- Serve up and enjoy!
[Sinead Sweeney]
