Cheesy Gorgonzola Zucchini Pasta with Toasted Walnuts and Baked Anjou Pears

Cheesy Gorgonzola Zucchini Pasta with Toasted Walnuts and Baked Anjou Pears

For those gorgonzola cheese lovers out there, this post is for you… because even smelling...

Cheesy Gorgonzola Zucchini Pasta with Toasted Walnuts and Baked Anjou Pears

For those gorgonzola cheese lovers out there, this post is for you… because even smelling gorgonzola cheese usually makes me queasy. But ya know what? After making and then testing this recipe, I think I’m a fanzola (a fan of gorgonzola). No? Too cheesy? Cheesy! Get it? OK…. it’s almost Friday, please forgive me.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a cheese plate lover. Manchego, brie, camembert, l’explorateur and boucheron are my favorites (in case you are planning on buying me a cheese-of-the-month subscription). Whenever I order cheese at a restaurant, I always tell the waiter (unobnoxiously, of course): “Give me your best…. as long as it’s not a blue cheese!” Now, let me tell you how this pasta dish is really a cheese plate….

I found a crate of adorable baby anjou pears at the farmer’s market and had to have them. I’m not necessarily a pear freak, but they looked like little baby green birds looking for a mother to take them in and love them. I once ate baked honey-vanilla pears with ice cream that were ah-mazing, so I figured the sweetness and sugariness that would come from baking the pears would combat the pungency of the cheese’s saltiness. Lots of ness-es in that sentence.

Cheesy Gorgonzola Zucchini Pasta with Toasted Walnuts and Baked Anjou Pears

So, the recipe. The zucchini pasta is first sauteed very lightly in olive oil and garlic and then, at the very end, filled with gorgonzola cheese that heats up quickly and melts into the noodles, creating a creamy-cheesy sauce. Then, we quickly mix in the cute baked anjou pears and toasted walnuts for a savory, crunchy, and warm nuttiness that hugs the cheesiness of the pasta. You’ll want to eat this on a chilly fall day in your onesie, it’s so comforting.

Nuts, fruit, and cheese? Cheese plate!

While I can be around gorgonzola and other blue cheeses after having this pleasant recipe testing experience, I’ll still never give up my manchego. Mmm…. can it be the weekend yet?

Cheesy Gorgonzola Zucchini Pasta with Toasted Walnuts and Baked Anjou Pears

 

Cheesy Gorgonzola Zucchini Pasta with Toasted Walnuts and Baked Anjou Pears

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 1

Ingredients

  • 1 large zucchini Blade C
  • 1/2 tbsp olive oil + more for drizzling
  • 1/4 cup gorgonzola cheese + more for garnish
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 small garlic clove minced
  • 1 anjou pear
  • 1/4 cup walnuts

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  • Prepare your pears by slicing them into eight pieces, making sure to remove all seeds. Lay the slices down on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes, tossing the pears halfway through. Five minutes before the pears are done baking, throw the walnuts into the tray. When done, set aside.
  • Once you add the walnuts to the baking tray, place a large skillet over medium heat and add in the 1/2 tbsp of olive oil. Once the oil heats, add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add in the zucchini noodles, season with pepper and cook for about 1 minute or until they are heated through and start to soften.
  • Add in the gorgonzola cheese and cook for 1 minute, tossing to combine thoroughly. The cheese should fully melt into the noodles.
  • When the cheese is melted, place the noodles into a bowl. Top with pears, walnuts and extra gorgonzola. Enjoy!

Instructions with Pictures

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Prepare your pears by slicing them into eight pieces, making sure to remove all seeds. Lay the slices down on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes, tossing the pears halfway through. Five minutes before the pears are done baking, throw the walnuts into the tray. When done, set aside.

Cheesy Gorgonzola Zucchini Pasta with Toasted Walnuts and Baked Anjou Pears

Cheesy Gorgonzola Zucchini Pasta with Toasted Walnuts and Baked Anjou Pears

Once you add the walnuts to the baking tray, place a large skillet over medium heat and add in the olive oil. Once the oil heats, add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add in the zucchini noodles, season with pepper and cook for about 1 minute or until they are heated through and start to soften.

Add in the gorgonzola cheese and cook for 1 minute, tossing to combine thoroughly. The cheese should fully melt into the noodles.

zucchini pasta

When the cheese is melted, place the noodles into a bowl. Top with pears, walnuts and extra gorgonzola. Enjoy!

Cheesy Gorgonzola Zucchini Pasta with Toasted Walnuts and Baked Anjou Pears

Cheesy Gorgonzola Zucchini Pasta with Toasted Walnuts and Baked Anjou Pears

Cheesy Gorgonzola Zucchini Pasta with Toasted Walnuts and Baked Anjou Pears

Cheesy Gorgonzola Zucchini Pasta with Toasted Walnuts and Baked Anjou Pears

with love, Ali

leave a comment

Recipe Rating




comments

  • My spiralizer arrives today! I will be making this recipe for dinner...thanks so much for all the great recipes!
  • I love pretty much all the recipes. If I win, I will probably make something like this, but with a soft boiled egg on top
  • Your recipes look amazing! Definitely looking into the spiralizer...and this recipe would probably be the first I'd try - love all of these ingredients!
  • This recipe looks delicious. I would definitely have to try this with a spiralizer.
  • Ali,l I think this was my favorite recipe so far. And we have tried a few! It tasted super naughty but was really fairly healthy. This is always my goal! Thanks for a winner.
    • Thank you thank you!! Keep trying them and let me know if you'd like to see anything else on here!
  • I already have a spiralizer and love it! Zuch noodles are my favorite. I made a variation of this last night, but instead of pears (which I didn't have) I used some pancetta and prosciutto. Toasted the walnuts in the pan, added the diced meats and the when cooked up put them on top of the Gorgonzola'd noodles. It was amazing! Looking forward to checking out your site more and finding lots of new uses for my favorite pasta maker!
    • Janice - thank you so so much! I love that recipe and prosciutto and pancetta sounds even better.. I'm glad you like the site- and I'm happy you're a spiralizer fan!
  • This is my favorite recipe. Husband loves it also. I love my spiralizer and your website is fantastic. Keep up the good work. We eat a primarily plant based healthy diet and the spiralizer has been a great addition to out menu ideas.
  • I'm making this for the second time tonight for supper. The first time was last month, and it was so YUMMY, that I doubled it and ate two plates of it! And it is so good paired with a favorite wine. I agree with another poster when she said it is so decadent tasting like you're eating something really fattening, only you're not!
    • Omg. I have made this three times and it only gets better. I throw in a little red pepper flake, and this is just amazing!!!! I think it's one of my favorites from you. Thanks, Ali!
      • I'm so glad you like this recipe, Nat! It's definitely an easy one to do and so yummy!