This is what happens when you go to the grocery store hungry. I really just went in to get cheddar. Although the price of cheese has skyrocketed lately and I doing like paying full price for cheese. So, perusing through discount cheese section, I ended up getting blue cheese and Swiss cheese. Which, as delicious as they might be? Doesn't exactly fit in with the Stovetop Black Beans and Wild Rice w/ Sweet Potatoes have! Not that I'm not willing to potentially try my hand at blue cheese nachos. I used Fontina the other day. Although the broccoli looked good and there's nothin better than dowsing absolutely everything in dairy products. Plus, I almost never make traditional pasta sauces. So, it sounded like fun to make Blue Cheese Alfredo.
Alfredo sauce generally is made with fettuccini. I ordinarily to have fettuccini at home! But I'm all for shaped pasta. Especially when it comes to adding in things like broccoli, which do better being stabbed with a fork than daintily twisted around one. Although you can absolutely make this recipe as Fettuccine Alfredo, instead of Fusilli Alfredo. Both are equally delicious, though. I rather liked the addition of blue cheese as well.
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Variations of Blue Cheese Alfredo
I don't often make alfredo sauce. I find it to be one of the more difficult sauces to make. It's far easier to break the sauce than when making something more similar to fondue or macaroni and cheese. Although I do have plenty of similar recipes in that vein! Because I would absolutely live on pasta and cheese. It's one of my favorite comfort foods. You can also mix and match whatever pasta shape you like. I often use fusilli, rigatoni, and spaghetti. But any pasta that you prefer or have on hand will do!
Add about 4 inches of water to a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
Cook pasta according to the manufacturer's instructions. This typically entails boiling for about 8-12 minutes, or until barely al dente.
Remove the pasta from the water and set aside.You may want to stir it occasionally to keep the noodles from sticking together.
Alfredo Sauce
Bring butter and heavy whipping cream to a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
Mix in dry white wine, garlic, and shallots. Simmer, stirring constantly, for 3-5 minutes, or until the garlic and shallots become fragrant.
Slowly stir in the blue cheese and parmesan about 1/4 cup at a time. Make sure to stir constantly until fully incorporated.The key to a creamy sauce is adding in the cheese gradually. If it’s added too quickly, the mixture will separate!
Once all of the cheese is incorporated and the mixture is smooth, stir in the broccoli.
Simmer the alfredo sauce for 15 minutes, or until the sauce reaches the desired consistency. Make sure to stir occasionally.I like a slightly thicker sauce. This will take longer to cook down. Although this is all a matter of personal preference! Cook to your personal taste.
Serve
Add rigatoni to the sauce and stir until combined.
Top with a dash of salt and pepper to taste.
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
Some alfredo sauce recipes will tell you to add cornstarch to thicken. This is a trick for making fondue and also helps keep the sauce from breaking. I prefer not to add cornstarch if I can help it and find that cooking down the alfredo sauce warrants a similar result without it being necessary. However, this is a good trick if you have trouble with the sauce breaking or want to speed up the process.
This is a great recipe to turn into a macaroni and cheese. I didn't want to wait that long today! So, I didn't bother. But you could easily lightly oil a large baking dish, pour the mixture inside, grate a little bit of extra cheese on top, and then cook at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-40 minutes, or until the top begins to brown. And voila! A little bit more time and you have fondue macaroni and cheese.
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