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Balsamic radicchio, blue cheese and hazelnut cavatappi

Name: Balsamic radicchio, blue cheese and hazelnut cavatappi
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Italian recipes
Ingredients: 400g cavatappi, or other short pasta; Extra-virgin olive oil for frying and drizzling; 50g blanched hazelnuts, roughly chopped; 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced; 1 small radicchio or 2 red chicory, shredded; A few fresh thyme sprigs, leaves stripped; 3 tbsp good-quality balsamic vinegar; 150g blue cheese (gorgonzola dolce or piccante, or vegetarian stilton), crumbled

Published: 9 Dec 16
Updated: 18 Mar 24

This extra special pasta recipe only takes 20 minutes to make but has all the wow-factor and indulgence of a dish you’d expect to find on a restaurant menu. Use cavatappi, or any short pasta you can find, and pair with oozy blue cheese, bitter radicchio and crunchy hazelnuts.

Or, for something a little more weeknight friendly, check out this roasted red onion, walnut and blue cheese pasta recipe.

Easy
November 2016

Test kitchen approved

Serves 4
Hands-on time 20 min

Or, for something a little more weeknight friendly, check out this roasted red onion, walnut and blue cheese pasta recipe.

Vegetarian recipes

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 654kcals
Fat: 27.5g (9.4g saturated)
Protein: 22.1g
Carbohydrates: 76.4g (5.3g sugars)
Fibre: 6.3g
Salt: 1.6g

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Ingredients

400g cavatappi, or other short pasta
Extra-virgin olive oil for frying and drizzling
50g blanched hazelnuts, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1 small radicchio or 2 red chicory, shredded
A few fresh thyme sprigs, leaves stripped
3 tbsp good-quality balsamic vinegar
150g blue cheese (gorgonzola dolce or piccante, or vegetarian stilton), crumbled

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Method

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to the packet instructions until nearly al dente. Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan over a medium heat with a good drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Add the chopped hazelnuts and cook, stirring often, until very pale golden. Turn the heat down, add the garlic and cook for a minute or so until fragrant. Turn up the heat and add the radicchio or chicory along with the thyme and balsamic vinegar, tossing it in the pan so it wilts a little and the vinegar becomes syrupy.
Once the pasta is cooked until just under al dente, drain, reserving a splash of the water. Tip the pasta and the reserved water into the radicchio pan and mix together. Cook over a low heat for a minute or so, then stir in the cheese, taste and season. Serve immediately.

Recipe from November 2016 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 654kcals
Fat: 27.5g (9.4g saturated)
Protein: 22.1g
Carbohydrates: 76.4g (5.3g sugars)
Fibre: 6.3g
Salt: 1.6g

delicious. tips

Quality balsamic vinegar is more syrupy than ordinary balsamic. If you’re using a thinner vinegar, add a good pinch of sugar to the pan at the end of step 1. Alternatively, use balsamic glaze.
Cavatappi is a spiral, tubular pasta. You could use macaroni or fusilli instead.