Thursday 10 July 2008

Gigli

I've recently started to like blue cheese. It's one of those things that I think I should really like, an every time it's on offer I've tasted it again. After all, when I was younger I didn't like aubergines, carrots or swede and now they're all regulars. It certainly paid off with the blue cheese; I was recommended Stichelton and after trying a piece from Neal's Yard I was hooked on the blue stuff.

The selection of pasta shapes in the supermarket now is almost over-whelming. I'm a noodle kind of girl, so fettucini, spaghetti, linguine, tagliatelle and pappadelle are my usuals. On a whim, I bought Gigli. It's a frill edged, cone shaped pasta and is apparently excellent with cheese sauces. It held this sauce well.

Blue Cheese & Spinach Gigli

To serve 1

100gr gigli pasta
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 small leek, finely shredded
2 mushrooms, sliced
3 tbsp low fat creme fraiche
3 large handfuls of washed baby spinach
30gr (roughly) blue cheese - I used Cornish Blue

In a frying pan, sweat the leeks until they are softened. Add the garlic and the mushrooms, and fry gently. Put the pasta on to cook (I found it took about 6 minutes). When the pasta is almost done, add the spinach to the frying pan. Once wilted, add the creme frachie. Add the blue cheese, season and toss through the gigli pasta.

What sauces do you make for Gigli?

5 comments:

Beth (jamandcream) said...

I love blue cheese and love pasta so this is a win win for me. Shame hubby and daughter (although Im sure she'll grow into liking it) don't share my enthusiasm for blue cheese!!

tigerfish said...

Gigli pasta? SUch a cute name! Well, I will giggle in secret if I can steal a mouth or two of your pasta dish :P

aforkfulofspaghetti said...

Blue cheese is the right way to go!

Anonymous said...

Stichelton is one of my faves too. I love the creaminess of it. I've never used it in past though - yum yum.

Ros said...

I almost bought some gigli the other day but stopped and decided to use the penne I already had, thinking I better not stock up on stuff I may not finish before moving out. I'm close to regretting it now after hearing how well it takes a blue cheese sauce.

I'm going to go find some of this stichelton - I don't think I've heard of it before.