This is not an ordinary pasta dish. In fact, camembert-pear farfalle pasta is something you are going to love. The richness of camembert and sweet pear in contrast with slightly bitter radicchio will amaze you. After all, this is a winner among the winter pasta dishes.
I love pasta. But, who doesn’t? Pasta is one of the easiest and quickest meals to prepare. Additionally, there are unlimited variations of pasta dishes where everyone can find their favourite. Take this pasta recipe, for example, there’s cheese, fruits, vegetables, pasta and some crunch. A-ma-zing!
Moreover, not only the dish but the pasta itself is special. Farfalle are fun and a joy to eat. Translated, the name means butterflies. In fact, they really look like lovely butterflies or better bow-ties. Simply lovely. When overcooked they tend to break apart. Therefore, cook them al dente.
For more inspiration, check these delicious pasta dishes: the “piece of art” lingua della suocera, the amazing tagliatelle with mortadella ragù, the stunning pumpkin black spaghetti, the colourful autumn leaves pasta, the tasty penne with hazelnut or the classic mac’n’cheese.
Camembert, brie or gorgonzola
As the title says, the cheese I used is camembert. I love this cheese. It’s soft, creamy, moist, with a bloomy rind and with a strong yet lovely aroma. When melted, it becomes a rich and gooey deliciousness. Wink. In fact, it is similar to brie (another delicious French cheese). However, you can use gorgonzola as well. They all make a great combination with pears.
Furthermore, along with camembert, I combined some sweet pears. They are a great choice because they are sweet, juicy and soft. Moreover, next to all these goodies, comes radicchio. Radicchio is a great winter leaf vegetable. Not only it looks and tastes great but it is also rich in vitamins (K, B, C and E).
Moreover, I’ve read that quite a lot of people mistaken radicchio for red cabbage. Probably, because I know it since I was little, I can recognise it straight away. Radicchio is crisp, bitter and dark wine-red coloured.
When looking for radicchio, look for the most popular radicchio names like Chioggia, Treviso, Treviso Tardivo or Castelfranco, for example. However, if you can’t find radicchio, check for chicory.
Also, you might check these recipes, to see and taste the difference with cabbage: a wonderful roasted lemon-garlic red cabbage, stunning summer rolls, a simple radicchio salad or the colourful red cabbage soup.
Ingredients for 2 portions of camembert-pear farfalle pasta:
- olive oil
- 2 pears (cut)
- 1 small head of radicchio
- a handful of walnuts
- 250 g farfalle
- 200 g camembert (melted; also brie or gorgonzola works)
Make sure you have all the pots ready because it’s a really quick recipe. Therefore, prepare a medium pot for pasta, a larger frying pan for the sauce and a smaller frying pan for the cheese.
In a pasta pot, put some water to boil. At the same time, peel and cut the pears. You can cut them into smaller cubes or wedges. Also, wash and clean the radicchio. You can use either whole leaves or cut it into smaller pieces (tear it into ribbons).
Furthermore, drizzle some olive oil in the larger pan and add the pears and radicchio. Season well with salt and pepper and stir for 4 minutes. Then, cover and cook for about 10 minutes. In between, you might add a splash of white wine or water.
Once the pasta water is boiling, throw in the farfalle pasta and cook for about 9 minutes or according to the package. Only 5 minutes before the pasta is cooked, melt the cheese in the smaller pan until completely gooey.
Finally, transfer the farfalle pasta in the larger pan, add a splash of pasta water and the walnuts. Then stir and finish with the gooey cheese on top. Give the pan a couple of shakes, in order to allow the cheese to spread around the pan, and divide the camembert-pear farfalle pasta between two plates.
Enjoy!
PS
If you like the recipe, if you make the recipe or if you have any new ideas how to improve or change it, let me know in the comments section below or alternatively share your photos and reactions with me on Instagram (@Passionspoon), Facebook or Twitter (@PassionSpoon1). Simply use the hashtag #passionspoonrecipes in your posts. I would love to see them! (wink)
