Blue Cheese Pasta

Jazz up your pasta with pesto by introducing it to some blue cheese! This easy recipe for blue cheese pasta is a great change-up from tomato sauce.

Why we love this recipe

I love a pasta tomato sauce as much as the next girl, but sometimes I want to shake things up with a totally different flavor, and that’s where this blue cheesy pasta comes in.

First of all, it combines the fabulous flavors of blue cheese and pesto with a little butter to make a mixture that is going to melt into your hot pasta like a delicious charm.

Second, it includes some fresh chopped asparagus that cooks up in the same pot as the pasta (can I get an Amen for one pot suppers?), so you have some veggies going on.

And third, this six ingredient recipe is ready in about 20 short minutes. What’s not to love? 🥰

What is pesto?

Pesto is a flavorful green sauce that is traditionally made from basil, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, garlic, pine nuts and Parmesan cheese. You can find it in jars next to the pasta sauces in your supermarket…or you can make it yourself!

If you haven’t yet found the perfect pesto recipe, here is my reliable favorite version from Elise at Simply Recipes.  Simply Recipes is the place I go whenever I need a classic and perfect recipe for something like pesto…go browse around!

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.

Ingredients you need

Ingredient notes and substitutions

• Pasta: Any pasta will work for this recipe but we like a short pasta like campanelle, bow-ties or penne. Use your fave!
• Blue Cheese: Blue cheese comes in all kinds of “strengths” – we use a mild version so it doesn’t overwhelm the other flavors.
• Walnuts: You can swap in chopped pecans or macadamia nuts, or trade the nuts for toasted bread crumbs.
• Pesto: If you don’t have any homemade on hand, you can find pesto in the pasta sauce area of your supermarket.

How to make this recipe

STEP 1: Cook up some pasta according to package directions until it has two minutes to go. Add some chopped asparagus, cook for two minutes, scoop out a little pasta water, drain it all together and put it back into the pot.

STEP 2: Mash up some room temperature blue cheese with some pesto and butter.

STEP 3: Scrape the blue cheese mixture into that pot of warm pasta and asparagus and give it all a good stir until everything is melty and cheesy and perfect. Drizzle in a little of that pasta water you saved if you want to loosen up the sauce a little.

STEP 4: Divide the pasta among plates. If you are in the mood you can scatter some chopped walnuts or toasted breadcrumbs on top – I am always in the mood for both of those things. Dinner is ready!

Just blue cheesy and pesto-ish and buttery enough for folks to be wondering what that fabulous taste is that they just…can’t…place.

Recipe FAQs

Want to round out your meal?

We love to add even more veggies in the form of this cherry tomato and green bean salad, and of course fresh baked bread is perfect to sop up the sauce.

And for dessert, let’s have rice pudding!

Other blue cheese recipes we love

Looking for more one pot supper inspiration? Here are all our recipes that cook up in just one pot – yay for fewer dishes to wash!

Could you leave us a review?

If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section.

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Blue Cheese Pasta

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Jazz up your pasta with pesto by introducing it to some blue cheese! This easy recipe for blue cheese pesto pasta is a great change-up from tomato sauce.

• Author: Kate Morgan Jackson
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Italian
• Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 12 ounces short pasta (I like campanelle but any variety will work!)
• 4 ounces blue cheese, room temperature and crumbled
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup pesto, depending on how much pesto taste you like
• 1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
• Walnuts or toasted fresh breadcrumbs for garnish (optional)

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Instructions

1. Cook pasta in heavily salted water according to package directions. When it has 2 minutes to go, add the asparagus. Scoop out a cup of pasta water and drain, returning pasta mixture to pot.
2. While the pasta is cooking, mash the cheese and butter together. Mix in the pesto.
3. Add the pesto mixture to the pasta and stir until melted. Drizzle in enough pasta water to make a light sauce.
4. Divide among plates, garnishing with walnuts or breadcrumbs if desired. Tell nobody about the pesto part and see if they figure it out.

Notes

• • Pasta: Any pasta will work for this recipe but we like a short pasta like campanelle, bow-ties or penne. Use your fave!

• • Blue Cheese: Blue cheese comes in all kinds of “strengths” – we use a mild version so it doesn’t overwhelm the other flavors.

• • Walnuts: You can swap in chopped pecans or macadamia nuts, or trade the nuts for toasted bread crumbs.

• • Pesto: If you don’t have any homemade on hand, you can find pesto in the pasta sauce area of your supermarket.