Salsa di formaggio blu

So, I'm looking through teh fridge to work out what delight I can invent tonight to go with my bowl of fettucine pasta, and I realise I have blue cheese (It's a Tasmanian Heritage blue. Not sure what type of blue, but it's lovely and creamy, very reminiscent of a gorgonzola).
I was already making an alfredo sauce for the girls ravioli, so I think "Hmmm. I may add some chunks of blue cheese to this, and maybe some chives, and I have a great pasta sauce!"

So, here are the basic recipes. Alfredo sauce and blue cheese sauce (though doesn't it sound so much better in Italian? salsa di formaggio blu )


100 g butter
2 large cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1 cup fresh cream


Melt the butter over a low heat.
Add the cream and stir well.
Remove from heat and add garlic. (The residual heat cooks out the garlic)
Stir through parmesan to taste




To turn it into a blue cheese sauce, add a decent amount of blue cheese and a teaspoon of finely chopped chives.

Chicken and mushroom pasta bake

I made this one last night, and found it stupidly easy.

You could easily add in some good chunks of bacon, and it would make a lovely chicken boscaiola sauce.

• 1 packet pasta (we used penne, but any pasta will work well)
• 1 leek - finely chopped
• 200g mushrooms - finely sliced
• A good splash of white wine
• Olive oil
• Philadelphia cream for cooking (I apologise for the flash, but I didn't design that site :P )
• Cheese for sprinkling and baking

1. Cook pasta according to directions on packet.
2. Heat olive oil in a heavy based pan.
3. Cook chicken, mushrooms and leeks together in the olive oil. Season to taste.
4. When chicken is sealed, add the white wine, and reduce.
5. Toss the chicken mixture and the Philly through the cooked, drained pasta.
6. Pour the lot into a baking dish (I used a lasagne dish), sprinkle over some cheese, and bake in a moderate (180C) oven until golden brown.

You can reheat the leftovers in a microwave by sprinkly a small amount extra cheese on top, and heating through.

You can also make ahead, but cook on a lower temp in the oven.