Pasta alla Cenere (Squid Ink Spaghetti with Gorgonzola Sauce)
Why this recipe works
- Silky sauce: Mascarpone softens the sharper gorgonzola and helps create a smooth, creamy coating for the spaghetti.
- Savoury depth: Squid ink adds a briny, umami edge that balances the richness of the blue cheese.
- Fast cooking: The sauce comes together while the pasta boils, making this a rich but efficient dinner.
Get the most out of this recipe
Timing notes
- Serve straight away: This pasta is at its best immediately after tossing, while the sauce is still glossy and loose.
- Sauce and pasta cook together: Start the sauce once the spaghetti is in the pan so everything is ready to combine while the pasta water is hot and starchy.
Ingredient notes
- Choose the blue cheese to taste: Gorgonzola gives a rounded, creamy sharpness; a stronger blue cheese will make the sauce more assertive.
- Season carefully: Both cheese and pasta water bring salt, so taste at the end before adding more.
- Squid ink matters: Squid ink provides the dark colour and savoury marine note that make Pasta alla Cenere distinctive.
Texture tips
- Keep the heat low: Blue-cheese sauces can split if boiled hard, so melt the cheeses gently and avoid aggressive heat.
- Use pasta water gradually: Add the reserved cooking water a little at a time until the sauce turns smooth and clings to the strands.
Make-ahead tips
- Best eaten fresh: The sauce is creamiest just after cooking, so this is not an ideal make-ahead pasta.
- Reheat gently: Warm leftovers over a low heat with a splash of water, stirring until the sauce loosens and the pasta is piping hot.
Equipment you'll need
Ingredients
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil and season it with the fine sea salt. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente, stirring once or twice so it does not stick.
- While the pasta cooks, melt the unsalted butter in a saucepan over a low heat. Add the gorgonzola cheese and mascarpone and stir gently until the cheeses are mostly melted and the sauce looks smooth.
- Stir the squid ink into the cheese sauce until evenly coloured. Keep the heat low so the sauce stays silky and does not split.
- Reserve about 150 ml of the pasta cooking water, then drain the spaghetti. Add the spaghetti to the saucepan and toss with a splash of the reserved pasta water until the sauce turns glossy and coats the strands; add more water a little at a time as needed.
- Season with black pepper and taste for salt, adding a pinch more fine sea salt if needed. Serve immediately while the sauce is loose and shiny.
Recipe notes
Tips
- Keep the sauce on a low heat and stir gently; gorgonzola and mascarpone can split if boiled hard.
- Reserve more pasta water than you think you need, then add it gradually until the sauce clings to the spaghetti in a smooth, glossy layer.
Substitutions
- Replace Gorgonzola cheese with Stilton cheese for a similarly bold blue-cheese flavour.
- Replace Unsalted butter with Salted butter, then reduce the Fine sea salt slightly and season to taste at the end.
Storage
- Refrigerate up to 2 days
- Cool quickly and refrigerate in a sealed container. Reheat gently in a saucepan over a low heat with a splash of water, stirring until the sauce loosens and the pasta is piping hot.
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Recipe overview
- Servings: 2 servings
- Total time: 20min (20min active)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cuisine: Italian
-
Allergens:
Gluten Milk Wheat
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