We love blue cheese but I had not prepared anything with blue cheese in a while. Then for some reason I thought of pairing celeriac with blue cheese in a pasta dish, and it works! The celeriac becomes slightly sweet when cooked along with the pasta, and the sweetness works well with the blue cheese. This pasta dish takes only as long as needed to cook the pasta. The beauty of a recipe like this is that it only has three main ingredients: celeriac, pasta, and blue cheese. I added some grated parmigiano and minced celery leaves for added flavor. To add even more flavor and texture, you could also add some toasted walnuts. Walnuts go well with celeriac, which we know from Waldorf salad.
Ingredients
For 2 servings
150 grams (1/3 lb) penne pasta
100 grams (3.5 oz) gorgonzola or other blue cheese
1/2 celeriac (about 400 grams or .9 lb after cleaning)
1 Tbsp minced celery leaves
4 Tbsp freshly grated parmigiano reggiano
chopped toasted walnuts (optional)
salt
Preparation
Peel the celeriac while you bring a pot of water to a boil.
Once the water boils, add the penne pasta and salt. Cook al dente according to package instructions.
Cut the celeriac into sticks about the size of the pasta.
Chop the blue cheese.
Add the celeriac sticks to the pasta to cook them along for the last 5 minutes.
Drain the pasta and celeriac, reserving some of the cooking water. Return the pasta and celeriac to the pot and add the blue cheese, celery leaves, and grated parmigiano. Add just enough of the reserved cooking water to change the cheese into a thick sauce (a few tablespoons are enough). Toss to mix.
Serve on preheated plates.
Flashback
Lobster carpaccio with gorgonzola sauce may sound weird, but it is delicious. I had this at Davide Scabin’s restaurant Combal.Zero in Turin, where this is somewhat of a cult dish. In fact pairing seafood and cheese is in Italy often regarded as sacrilege, but the sweetness of the lobster works really with the blue cheese (which is mellowed by turning it into a creamy sauce).
Stefan's Gourmet Blog 
devo provare questa pasta , mi sembra ottima
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Have not prepared this combination either but shall if I can find celeriac: not always available in the country here. Like the celery leaves and walnuts!!
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This sounds fantastic!! Can’t wait to try it. Celery root is one of my favorite vegetables, especially when boiled and puréed with milk and salt, like mashed potatoes but healthier!!
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Hi Adriana, thanks for visiting and taking the time to comment. Hope to see you again soon. I agree that celery root puree is great. I actually boil it in the milk with a little cream added in for good measure, for an ever creamier result (and no loss of flavor by any discarded cooking water).
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Ooh…even better idea! I can’t wait to try it using your method. I first cooked it in Amsterdam as it is not popular not easy to find in the States. I’m heading to the produce market this week to try it again. Thanks for sharing your ideas and I’m following you now. Thanks for commenting on my blog and leading me to yours. Cheers!
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Here celeriac/celery root is very common and available almost year-round, but I suppose you already know that. Thanks for the follow!
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I miss Amsterdam and you’re welcome.
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P.S. It’s so interesting that I found your blog because I was looking for sous-vide on WordPress, and only then found out that you’ve lived right here in Amsterdam and blogged about that!
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It’s a small world, my sous-vide friend! 🙂
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I never would have thought about putting celeriac with pasta… But now you mention it, that sounds delicious!
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Do give it a try!
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Lovely combination. A beautiful meal, no doubt.
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Love the combo! Sounds delish!
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Your easy pasta dishes with fresh vegetables never ceases to amaze me! Thanks Stefan!
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Thanks Kathryn, what a nice thing to say.
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