gnocchi gorgonzola

This has to be one of the simplest pasta dishes to prepare. Whack some cheese in some cream and melt it, toss it through some baby gnocchi and indulge!

I love the pungency and velvety texture of gorgonzola. It really is a beautiful cheese.

This is my contribution to Presto Pasta Night, founded and hosted by Ruth from Once Upon A Feast.

Sugo di Gorgonzola
Anna's very own recipe. Makes about 350ml.
Ingredients:
175g gorgonzola piccante, diced
150ml double cream
pinch of sugar
2 tablespoons toasted pinenuts
1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped finely
Method:
1. Put the gorgonzola, sugar and cream in a saucepan. Add plenty of ground pepper.
2. Heat gently until the cheese melts.
3. Add the chives then use immediately.
Note: Can be served as an accompaniment to veal or as a pasta sauce, both sprinkled with chopped walnuts.

Gorgonzola is a cow’s milk cheese that developed blue veins from a spore (Penicillin Glaucum) native to caves in the Po Valley of Lombardy, Italy, where the cheeses were hung to mature.

The cheese is very creamy and smooth, so it’s easy to melt into sauces, risotto or fondues. It’s also a characteristic topping in the quattro formaggio pizza. The delicious flavour is unfortunately sullied by the knowledge that gorgonzola has a 50% fat content!

These days gorgonzola is one of only three cheeses to be restricted to a zone of production (Denominazione di Origine Controllata). Parmesan and Roquefort are the other two. The area where gorgonzola can be made includes the provinces of Novara, Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Cremona, Cuneo, Lecco, Lodi, Milan, Pavia, Varese, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Vercelli and Alessandria.

Gorgonzola is formed into 10kg wheels and aged at low temperatures before being punctured with rods to allow the spores to enter the cheese.

There are two varieties of gorgonzola. Softer, younger versions are known as gorgonzola dolce (sweet). They are aged for around 3 months, have a milder scent and are easily spread on bread. Firmer versions are labelled piccante (spicy, strong) and are aged for 6 months. They are saltier, crumblier and have stronger flavours, best suited to salads and as ingredients in meals.


References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorgonzola_cheese
http://www.gorgonzola.org/gorgonzola.html
http://entertaining.about.com/od/cheese/p/gorgonzola.htm
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-gorgonzola.htm

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