Name: Fettuccine with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 pound fettuccine; 1 teaspoon table salt , divided, plus salt for cooking pasta; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 1 tablespoon minced shallot; 1 garlic clove , minced; ½ cup dry vermouth; 2 cups heavy cream; 8 ounces Gorgonzola cheese , crumbled (2 cups); 1 teaspoon pepper; ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg; 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Why This Recipe Works

This luxurious dish comes together with little more than cheese, cream, and vermouth. Its most time-consuming step is bringing the water to a boil. Shallots and garlic sautéed in a little butter provided a savory base, which we augmented with nutty-tasting vermouth. Next we added cream and boiled it until reduced. All that was left was to stir in Gorgonzola cheese off heat (along with nutmeg and chives), whose pungency helped counter the sauce’s richness.

Before You Begin

You can substitute dry sherry or dry white wine for the vermouth. The sauce will thicken quite a bit as it sits; serve the pasta immediately for the best texture.

Instructions

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add 1 pound fettuccine and 1 tablespoon table salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot.

Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon unsalted butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon minced shallot, 1 minced garlic clove, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ½ cup dry vermouth and cook until reduced by half, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 2 cups heavy cream and bring to boil. Cook until sauce is reduced to 2 cups, 4 to 6 minutes, whisking often.

Off heat, whisk in 2 cups crumbled Gorgonzola, 1 teaspoon pepper, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt until smooth. Add sauce and 2 tablespoons minced chives to pasta. Using tongs, toss until pasta is evenly coated and sauce has thickened slightly, about 1 minute (sauce will initially pool slightly in pot and will thicken as it cools). Adjust consistency with reserved cooking water as needed. Serve immediately.