Penne with Gorgonzola Roasted Red Pepper Walnut Pesto

When my husband and I were first dating, we’d often have dinner at Machiavelli, a small family-run Italian restaurant in Seattle. Without fail, he would always order their penne with roasted pepper pesto. I have no idea what recipe they use, but this is the version I developed in homage to that dish. It takes 30 minutes or less to prepare and uses mostly pantry staples, making it a perfect weeknight dish.

Yield: 6-8 servings | Total Time: About 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces penne

• 3 Tbsp olive oil

• 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 cup shelled walnuts

• 1 whole roasted red bell pepper (the jarred variety is just fine)

• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (or more to taste)

• 1/2 cup whole milk

• 5 Tbsp. crumbled Gorgonzola

• 3 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice + 1/4 tsp. lemon zest

• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

• Fresh basil for serving (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350° F. Place walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and cook until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes.

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to boil. Add a splash of olive oil and penne and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. (It should be a bit more firm than you would like, though not crunchy, as you will finish cooking the pasta in the pot with some of the reserved pasta water.)

Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat in a large heavy bottomed pot. Add onions and garlic and cook until soft, stirring occasionally, about 5-10 minutes. Turn off heat and transfer mixture to a food processor. Add toasted walnuts and red pepper and mix until mixture is very well pureed.

Transfer red pepper walnut mixture back to the pot. Add milk, gorgonzola, penne and 1/2 cup reserved pasta water and cook over medium heat stirring occasionally, until flavors have melded and pasta softens to the desired consistency. If the sauce is too thick, you can add a bit more of the reserved pasta water.

Add lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve, garnished with torn fresh basil.