Gorgonzola & Broccoli Pasta

I love all kinds of blue cheese, especially the Italian version- Gorgonzola. This kind of cheese tends to be milder than some other kinds in the blue cheese fam. (I personally love stronger blue cheeses, but good ol' gorg is great for my fam, who don't love the strong blue cheeses. In fact, my children insist they "don't like" any form of blue cheese. Ha ha, if only they knew...) I had a tub of crumbled Gorgonzola from Trader Joe's and was thinking of ideas for dinner last night. I ended up making this pasta and the whole family just LOVED it. We couldn't get enough! Especially my one-year old. He was still eating long after we were all done. Lol. It could be just because he eats slower, but I don't know..... Also, I had some of the leftovers for lunch today and they heat up nicely in the microwave. I added a dribble (lol) of milk to mine before heating it up.

I have a kitchen scale, and I love it. I use ounces sometimes in my recipes. I love that I can measure pasta, especially. Because of their different shapes, it's hard to measure pasta into a measuring cup. One cup of penne might be a lot different than one cup of orzo. Kitchen scales are inexpensive, and small, so I highly recommend you get one, if you cook often. ;)

Gorgonzola & Broccoli Pasta

12 ounces whole wheat penne pasta

1 pound fresh broccoli, cut into florets

1/4 cup salted butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup half & half

1 cup 1% milk

2 tablespoons Parmesan, divided

8 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola

black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil

1. Boil pasta according to package directions; drain and put into a large bowl.

2. Meanwhile, steam broccoli florets to your desired tenderness.

3. Melt butter. Add garlic and saute for a minute or two, stirring frequently. Add half & half, and milk; bring to a low simmer. Whisk in half of parmesan and all of the Gorgonzola. Turn heat down to low and stir until cheeses are melted. Add black pepper and fresh basil.

4. Pour sauce over cooked pasta; stir to combine. Stir in steamed broccoli. Sprinkle the rest of the parmesan on top and serve.