The maitre d seated us and a waiter greeted us with a basket of Italian breads, butter and a crock of something else!! We didn't know what it was. It had an unusual aroma. It looked a bit like cheese with dark veins running thru it. Cautiously, we tasted it. Much to our surprise, it was delicious. A bit on the salty side, but great. It was so great, the waiter had to bring us another crock.

That experience opened up an entire new taste experience and led to our searching and testing of various recipes using Gorgonzola cheese.

Here then, is one of those recipes. It is easy and fast to prepare.

• 1 Lb. Fettuccine pasta.
• 4 Ounces Gorgonzola cheese, imported.
• 1/3 Cup milk.
• 3 Tbs. Butter, unsalted.
• 2 Tsp. Salt, or to taste.
• 1/4 Cup Heavy cream.
• 1/3 Cup grated Parmesan cheese.

PREPARATION

1. Place 4 quarts of water in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.



2. In a 1 quart sauce pan add the following ingredients: Gorgonzola cheese, milk, butter, and salt. Place pan on stove over very low heat.



3. As the ingredients begin to heat, mash the cheese using a wooden spoon and stir to incorporate the milk and butter.



4. Let the sauce cook for about 1 minute, until sauce has a dense, creamy consistency. Remove from heat and reserve until pasta is ready.



5. Add 2 tablespoons salt to the boiling pasta water, drop-in the fettuccine, stir and cover pot until water begins to boil. Remove cover and cook pasta at a rolling boil until tender, per package instructions, but still al dente.



6. Just before the pasta is done, reheat the sauce on very low heat and stir-in the heavy cream.



7. Drain the pasta well, return to cooking pot, add sauce and toss gently. Add Parmesan cheese and toss again. Serve sprinkled with coarsely ground black pepper.

NOTES