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

Test kitchen approved

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.

Serves 4
Hands-on time 20 min

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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

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.

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Balsamic radicchio, blue cheese and hazelnut cavatappi

Ingredients

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Nutrition

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