This easy blue cheese pasta recipe is a great way to use up leftover blue cheese and it is a super comforting pasta dish. A creamy, rich and delicious way to warm up, you need just a few ingredients to bring together a hearty pasta with blue cheese in just 15 minutes.
You can make an incredible blue cheese pasta sauce in minutes with a little cream, pasta water, Stilton and a few extra flavour boosters like shallots and ham (another way to use leftovers). This is our go-to leftovers recipe at Christmas time when we are bored of cheese boards and sandwiches. Blue cheese is so creamy and has a really strong flavour, that it makes a delicious pasta sauce.
If you are looking for more blue cheese recipes, why not try our Broccoli and Stilton Soup, Blue Cheese Dip and Blue Cheese Salad?
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Why you will love it
- Quick and easy - This is such a simple pasta dish and ready in just 15 minutes. You can make it even quicker by using fresh pasta.
- Uses leftovers - We used leftover ham and Stilton cheese in this, so it's definitely a leftover win.
- Adaptable - Feel free to adjust the amount of blue cheese used too, depending on how strong you like the flavour.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Pasta - You can use any pasta you like for this recipe, but we used penne. We prefer to use a chunky pasta shape rather than something like macaroni or spaghetti. So something else like rigatoni or fusilli will work and the sauce really clings to it and gets inside the shapes too.
- Butter - This is what the garlic and shallots is softened in. We used unsalted.
- Shallots - This adds a lovely sweetness to the blue cheese pasta sauce. You could swap it for a small brown onion if you prefer.
- Garlic - Freshly crushed is always best. However if you want to save some time, then you can use some garlic puree instead.
- Ham - This adds a lot of extra flavour, and is also a great way to use some more leftovers. You could use leftovers from our Slow Cooker Gammon recipe. You could also leave it out if you prefer.
- Blue cheese - This is the star flavour. We used Stilton as it has a really strong flavour, but you could use Gorgonzola if you wanted something a bit more mild.
- Cream - This adds a lovely richness and creates the pasta sauce. If you wanted to lighten it up a little, you could use reduced fat creme fraiche instead.
- Pasta water - This help to loosen up the blue cheese pasta sauce. This is our "secret" ingredient in every pasta dish and something that every Italian uses in their cooking. Adding a little bit of the starchy pasta water makes the sauce really silky smooth and cling to the pasta. It also loosens the sauce up a little, helping it go further.
- Salt and pepper - Generously season.
- Pine nuts - We put these on top to add some crunchy texture. You could swap these for walnuts which always go well with blue cheese.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
How to make blue cheese pasta - Step by step
One: Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.
Two: Melt the butter in a large pan and add the shallots and garlic. Cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
Three: Add the cream and ham and simmer for 2 minutes.
Four: Drain the pasta, reserving a small amount of the water. Add the pasta, blue cheese, salt, pepper and the reserved pasta water. Mix well.
Five: Serve immediately. Top with more blue cheese and the pine nuts.
What to serve with Blue Cheese Pasta
Everyone know that garlic bread and pasta are a match made in heaven. Carby heaven! Either buy some ready made, or make your own easy garlic bread by cutting up some French stick and spreading it with a mix of butter, crushed garlic and dried herbs. Then pop it in the oven for 10 minutes. Why not try our Cheesy Garlic Bread recipe?
You could also keep it simple with a big green salad. The key to an epic green salad is to use a variety of greens, like romaine, spinach, kale and rocket. You want leafy greens, but crunch too. Then you need the perfect dressing. Why not try our Lemon Vinaigrette, Honey and Mustard Dressing or Tomato and Basil Vinaigrette. You could also try our Grilled Little Gem Salad.
If you want to add a big side of vegetables, then we recommend our Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli, Garlic Green Beans, Air Fryer Carrots, or Roasted Lemon Asparagus.
Variations
Vegetables - The great thing about pasta dishes is that they are an easy way to eat more vegetables as pretty much anything goes. You could add some spinach to this or peas for a green boost. If you wanted something with more of a meaty texture, then mushrooms work well.
Meat - We added ham, as it's also a good way to use up leftover meat at Christmas time. You could add chicken or turkey too. If you wanted something really indulgent, then make some Air Fryer Steak to add on top of this blue cheese pasta.
Storage
Store: If you have leftovers, then you can store it in an air tight container in the fridge until the next day.
Freeze: We wouldn't recommend freezing this blue cheese pasta because it has a strange texture once defrosted.
Reheat: You can reheat this in a frying pan on a low heat. Add a splash of full fat milk to the pan to loosen it up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Because it's an easy way to make the sauce really silky smooth, with no extra effort.
If you use gluten free pasta and make sure there is no cross contamination, then this can be a gluten free dish.
Note that not all blue cheese is vegetarian. So make sure you check the one you are using.
More pasta recipes
If you’ve tried this blue cheese pasta recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Blue Cheese Pasta
Ingredients
- 140 g Penne pasta
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- 4 Shallots - diced
- 2 Garlic cloves - crushed
- 100 ml Single cream
- 50 g Ham - chopped
- 50 g Blue cheese - crumbled
- 50 ml Pasta water
- 2 pinch Sea salt and black pepper
- 40 g Pine nuts
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.140 g Penne pasta
- Melt the butter in a large pan and add the shallots and garlic. Cook until softened, about 4 minutes.2 tablespoon Butter, 4 Shallots, 2 Garlic cloves
- Add the cream and ham and simmer for 2 minutes.100 ml Single cream, 50 g Ham
- Drain the pasta, reserving a small amount of the water. Add the pasta, blue cheese, salt, pepper and the reserved pasta water. Mix well.50 ml Pasta water, 2 pinch Sea salt and black pepper, 50 g Blue cheese
- Serve immediately. Top with more blue cheese and the pine nuts.40 g Pine nuts
Notes
- For something a little different, you could serve this blue cheese sauce on gnocchi instead.
- To make this blue cheese pasta even quicker, use some fresh tagliatelle which is ready in a few minutes.
- Don't forget to reserve some of the pasta water. You really don't want to skip this step, as it makes the sauce so silky. Take it out a minute before the pasta is cooked.
- If you like your food spicy, then add a sprinkle of red chilli flakes on top before serving.
- Add a splash of olive oil to the pan before serving for an extra boost of flavour.
Nutritional Information
Colleen
I love blue cheese but I never would have thought to use it with pasta. I used gorgonzola and my family loved it. Thanks for this easy, yummy recipe!
dana
Blue cheese on pasta is a game changer. Never tried this before, always kept it for pizzas and salads, but wow! We loved it!
Kathleen
What a hearty, comforting and delicious pasta. Looking forward to trying it.
Tara
Oh yum! Such a wonderful way to use up leftover blue cheese. The pasta looks so comforting and I love how easily it all comes together.
Mahy
... Well, this reminds me that I have not made a proper pasta dish for so long now. Fantastic recipe!
kushigalu
Drooling over this delicious blue cheese pasta. Thanks for sharing
Gina
Love trying new pasta recipes, and this was incredible. Can't wait to make again!
Sara Welch
Pasta and pine nuts has to be my new favorite combination! Easily, a new favorite recipe; hands down delicious!
MacKenzie
This 15 minute pasta meal was fantastic. Love the combination of ham and Bleu cheese.
MJ
This made for a quick and easy lunch! Love the crunch and nutty flavor the pine nuts add to this blue cheese pasta.
Jill
What a fantastic combo of flavors. Made this with some leftover ham from another dinner we had. So good!