Whole wheat pasta tossed in a creamy, cheesy, blue cheese sauce studded with pistachios.
I had some blue cheese dip/dressing in my freezer that I finally got around to thawing. It was in there longer than it probably should have been but it tasted fine the sour cream just got soupy, not what you want for a dip. I didn't want to throw it away so I tried to thicken it by adding a pack of cream cheese. That didn't work to thicken it but it sure tasted great so I decided to transform it into something different. You could make this with regular blue cheese dip (that hasn't gone soupy) just add more white wine, or pasta water, to thin the sauce to the consistency you prefer.
That is when I decided to make an alfredo sauce from it. My husband made the suggestion to add some pistachios to the sauce too. I was very doubtful about his suggestion I thought they would get soggy and gross but he assured me it would be good (he has traveled to Italy and I haven't so I followed his suggestion). Boy, I'm glad I did they were delicious. They softened a bit in the sauce, but they were not soggy, and they were delicious adding some extra texture and protein to the meal. I only used 1/4 cup of pistachios in this recipe but I would recommend more (I apologized to my husband for doubting him).
Blue Cheese Alfredo
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups blue cheese dip
1 8oz pack cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup pistachios
Whole wheat pasta
basil
cracked pepper
In a large saute pan, saute the garlic, in the oil, until soft and fragrant. Pour in the white wine and reduce by half.
Meanwhile, mix the blue cheese dip and the cream cheese until well blended and then add it to the garlic and wine sauce. Add the pistachios and let simmer until the sauce thickens to desired consistency.
While the sauce is thickening cook the pasta al dente. I used whole wheat spaghetti but you could use fettuccine of any pasta of your choice. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and remove from the heat. Cover and let sit for a few minutes. Toss well before serving.
Makes 4 servings. Garnish with fresh cracked pepper and basil. Great with broccoli on the side.
Enjoy.
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