Creamy and rich melted blue cheese sauce smothers al dente rigatoni gorgonzola with crispy coppa chips is ultimate pasta dinner! The crispy slices of coppa chips add salty flavour and a boost of protein and some freshly ground pepper brings some a earthy taste. You can serve with some homemade bread to make it a perfect combo!
If you’re looking for a comforting pasta dish that’s loaded with texture and flavour, these creamy Rigatoni is just for you! Even better is the fact that this easy pasta dish can be cooked and assembled in as little as 20 minutes!
If you love pasta, be sure to try my Butternut Squash, Spinach & Goat Cheese Roll-Ups, Easy Mediterranean Lasagna, and my very popular Creamy Salmon and Broccoli Pasta.
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🍽 Why you will love this meal
- You just need 4 ingredients to make this easy and quick pasta dish!
- The creamy gorgonzola sauce with tender pasta and meaty coppa provides the perfect balance of textures, carbs, and protein.
- This gorgonzola pasta recipe is quick and easy - make it in less than 20 minutes from start to finish!
- Easily adapt this recipe using different pasta, protein, cheese, and seasoning. It’s so easy to add your twist to it.
🍝 Ingredients You’ll Need
Whip up this comfort food with little effort and minimal ingredients. Here’s everything you’ll need:
- Rigatoni - The hollow tube shape of this pasta is ideal for creamy sauce to latch onto. You can use a different cylindrical pasta, such as penne or ziti.
- Gorgonzola - This is a type of blue cheese that is soft and creamy and adds a delicious depth of flavour. Another type of blue cheese, specific to another country or region, could also be used, such as French Roquefort, English Stilton, Spanish Cabrales, or Danish Danablue.
- Ground pepper - Serve with fresh ground black pepper to season the sauce.
- Heavy cream - You can use a lighter calorie cream to make the sauce should you prefer.
- Slices of coppa - Coppa is dry cured meat from the pork shoulder. It’s very similar to prosciutto, which could be used instead if you prefer.
📖 Variations
Make easy variations of this rigatoni gorgonzola dish by adding spices and herbs to the coating or using a different protein. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Meat: If you can’t source slices of coppa, use prosciutto instead or other cured meats.
- Vegetarian: Prefer a meatless version? Simply omit the coppa and you’re good to go!
- Pasta: I love using rigatoni pasta for this dish, but you could use any type of pasta. Tubular pasta is great for catching that irresistible cheese sauce!
- Seasoning and herbs: The sliced coppa is already seasoned and spiced, but you could taste it to adjust and add in your favorite spices, seasonings, or herbs.
- Extra add-ins: Consider mixing in chopped walnuts, sliced olives, capers, or artichokes.
- Cheese: You can use regular blue cheese instead of Italian Gorgonzola.
🔪 Instructions
First, cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente and then drain. Sprinkle olive oil over the pasta to coat and prevent sticking.
Tip: Many people skip salting their pasta water, but this makes a huge difference in the overall flavour of your dish.
Next, melt the gorgonzola in a large pan (picture 1) and combine it with the heavy cream and pepper (picture 2). Set aside.
Then, crisp the coppa in a hot pan (picture 3). Place the crispy slices aside on a plate while you repeat this for all of the slices.
Now to combine! Reheat the rigatoni with the cream sauce and crispy coppa chips in a large pot (picture 4).
Serve immediately in shallow bowls and sprinkle with fresh parsley and extra coppa chips.
Recipe FAQs
You can top the rigatoni gorgonzola with fresh parsley and shredded cheese (pecorino Romano and parmesan cheese). It’s a comforting and complete meal, but it can also be served alongside a light salad or slice of garlic bread!
Leftover rigatoni gorgonzola with crispy coppa chips can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing this pasta dish as textures and cream sauce consistency can be altered by freezing and thawing.
Reheat leftovers in the microwave on high heat for 2-3 minutes. Keep in mind that the pasta may absorb some of the sauce in storage. Mix in some heavy cream or milk to loosen the pasta and replace some of the sauce that’s been absorbed.
Coppa is a cured meat from the pork shoulder that has been seasoned. It’s fatty and quite salty in flavour.
More Easy Weeknight Dinner
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Rigatoni Gorgonzola with Crispy Coppa Chips
Ingredients
- 4 cups pasta Rigatoni about 250g
- 1 drizzle olive oil optional
- 125 g Gorgonzola
- 150 ml Heavy cream
- Ground pepper
- 8 slices of coppa
Instructions
- Cook the rigatoni "al dente", according to the packaging, in a pot of boiling salted water, then drain them. Then remove them to a dish and sprinkle them with a drizzle of olive oil.
- Melt the gorgonzola in a large pan with the cream and pepper. Set aside.
- In a hot pan, place the slices of coppa (you might need to do 2 rounds) and allow the coppa to crisp up, once ready set aside and repeat with all the slices.
- Add the rigatoni to the pan with the sauce and mixing everything making sure that all the pasta are coated.
- Serve in shallow plates, sprinkle with fresh parsley or chives and place the coppa chips. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Store in an air tight container 2-3 days in the fridge.
- Reheat by adding a drop of milk to loosen up the cold sauce.
- Salt your water for the pasta.
- Drizzle the pasta with olive oil to prevent them from sticking to each other.
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