Given that my favourite food as a kid was nachos with soy sauce and melted cheese I am surprised at where I have ended up. I could say that I was just blessed with the perfect palate for tasting salt, sour and umami from the age of seven but it’s highly doubtful as my next favourite food was mashed potato with melted cheese (clearly healthy eating habits were engrained in me young, thanks mum).

There is one thing however my seven year old self knew for sure and that is that everything tastes better with cheese. Melted cheese. Aaaaaaaand you’re welcome.

Casarecce is hand rolled chewy pasta that holds sauce really well. If you can’t get your hands on casarecce, strozzapreti and pici are similar. For those wanting an extra challenge how bout making your own? My pici recipe here is super super easy and you don’t need a pasta maker.

Gorgonzola & Mushroom Casarecce

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 packet of casarecce pasta
5tbs olive oil
4 large cloves of garlic finely chopped
10 swiss brown mushrooms sliced
100g gorgonzola
2tsp sugar
Squeeze of lemon juice
2tbs butter
Handful of roughly chopped walnuts
Handful of parsley
Sprinkling of parmesan
Salt and pepper

Method

Heat the olive oil in a non stick medium sized pan and add your garlic. Fry for 2-3 minutes on a low heat, stirring around. Add the mushrooms, saute for 10 minutes then pour in 2/3 cup of water and your gorgonzola. Stir through gently until the cheese has melted and leave to simmer while you get your pasta on.

While your pasta is cooking add the walnuts, lemon juice, sugar, butter, parsley and salt and pepper to your sauce. Taste and make sure you are happy with the salt/acidic balance. Add your cooked pasta to the sauce and stir around making sure all those liquids are soaked up.

Serve with a little sprinkling of parmesan and eat up!