I have made sacchettini with radicchio a few times, especially when I find bags of fresh pasta with interesting fillings. The first time I tried gorgonzola sauce almost by chance, after having some leftover cheese from another recipe. Now it has made it to my short list of "quick pasta" options when I crave something hearty but don’t want to spend much time in the kitchen. The combination of the cheese-filled pasta and red chicory with the rich sauce works really well.
Quick Info
Total Time: 10-12 minutes
Preparation Time: as long as it takes to prepare the sauce (approx. 5-7 minutes)
Cooking Time: 3 minutes (boiling the pasta)
Servings: 2-3, depending on hunger and bag weight
Difficulty: very easy
Recipe Type: quick pasta with cheese sauce, suitable for lunch or dinner
Ingredients
1 bag of sacchettini with radicchio (fresh pasta filled with cheese and red chicory, usually 250-300g)
100 ml liquid cooking cream
100 g gorgonzola cheese (dolce or piccante, to taste)
freshly ground black pepper
ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons grated parmesan (for serving)
Preparation Method
1. Put a pot of water to boil, add a little salt, and when it boils, add the sacchettini. Follow the time indicated on the package; usually, 3 minutes is enough for fresh pasta.
2. While the pasta is boiling, put the liquid cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the gorgonzola broken into pieces. Stir until completely melted and the sauce becomes smooth.
3. Season the sauce with freshly ground pepper and a little grated nutmeg. Do not add salt, as gorgonzola is usually quite salty.
4. Carefully drain the sacchettini, as they are fragile. Immediately add them to the gorgonzola sauce, gently mixing so as not to break them.
5. Serve directly, with two tablespoons of grated parmesan on top.
Why I make this recipe often
It’s very quick to make, doesn’t require hard-to-find ingredients, and is filling. For me, it’s one of the go-to options when I don’t want to reinvent dinner but still want something with a clear cheese flavor. It also pairs well with different stuffed pastas if I can’t find sacchettini with radicchio.
Tips and Variations
Tips
- Don’t leave the gorgonzola sauce on the heat too long after it melts, or it may thicken too much.
- Fresh pasta cooks very quickly, so don’t leave it unattended. If it falls apart, it loses its appearance.
- If you want the sauce to be thinner, you can add a tablespoon of the water in which the pasta boiled.
Substitutions
- Instead of sacchettini with radicchio, you can use any stuffed pasta (tortellini or ravioli), but the taste will be different.
- Gorgonzola can be replaced with another blue cheese, but the flavor and texture will not be exactly the same.
- The liquid cream can be replaced with a mix of milk and a little liquid cream if you don’t have special cooking cream.
Variations
- You can add a little fresh spinach (added directly to the sauce at the end) if you want more greenery.
- For a stronger flavor, use spicy gorgonzola.
- If you want something crunchy on top, you can sprinkle a little chopped walnut.
Serving Ideas
- The recipe goes well served with a simple leaf salad or cherry tomatoes.
- You can bring extra parmesan or freshly ground pepper to the table.
- It pairs well with a dry white wine or cold sparkling water.
Frequently Asked Questions
How salty is the gorgonzola sauce?
Gorgonzola is salty, so I don’t recommend adding more salt to the sauce. Taste it at the end and see if you think it’s suitable.
Can I use dried pasta?
Fresh stuffed pasta (like sacchettini) works best. Dried stuffed pasta has a different texture and usually doesn’t behave as well with this type of sauce.
What do I do if my sauce thickens too much?
Take the sauce off the heat and add a tablespoon of the hot water in which the pasta boiled. Stir until you reach the desired consistency.
Do I need to add onion, garlic, or other flavor?
No. The recipe is designed to be simple, focusing on the flavor of the cheese and the stuffed pasta.
Can I keep leftovers for the next day?
Yes, but the texture of the stuffed pasta won’t be the same after cooling and reheating.
Nutritional Values (estimates)
One serving (out of 2 servings) contains approximately:
Calories: 500-600 kcal
Protein: 20-25 g
Fat: 25-30 g
Carbohydrates: 45-55 g
Values are estimates, depending on the type of pasta and how much parmesan you serve. The gorgonzola cheese sauce is quite rich, so it’s not a low-calorie option, but it is filling.
Storage and Reheating
Stuffed pasta with this sauce can be stored in the fridge, in a closed container, for a maximum of 1 day. When reheating, the texture becomes softer, and the sauce may separate a little. I recommend adding a tablespoon of milk or water when reheating, over low heat, stirring gently. However, the recipe is best served fresh.
Quick Info
Total Time: 10-12 minutes
Preparation Time: as long as it takes to prepare the sauce (approx. 5-7 minutes)
Cooking Time: 3 minutes (boiling the pasta)
Servings: 2-3, depending on hunger and bag weight
Difficulty: very easy
Recipe Type: quick pasta with cheese sauce, suitable for lunch or dinner
Ingredients
1 bag of sacchettini with radicchio (fresh pasta filled with cheese and red chicory, usually 250-300g)
100 ml liquid cooking cream
100 g gorgonzola cheese (dolce or piccante, to taste)
freshly ground black pepper
ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons grated parmesan (for serving)
Preparation Method
1. Put a pot of water to boil, add a little salt, and when it boils, add the sacchettini. Follow the time indicated on the package; usually, 3 minutes is enough for fresh pasta.
2. While the pasta is boiling, put the liquid cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the gorgonzola broken into pieces. Stir until completely melted and the sauce becomes smooth.
3. Season the sauce with freshly ground pepper and a little grated nutmeg. Do not add salt, as gorgonzola is usually quite salty.
4. Carefully drain the sacchettini, as they are fragile. Immediately add them to the gorgonzola sauce, gently mixing so as not to break them.
5. Serve directly, with two tablespoons of grated parmesan on top.
Why I make this recipe often
It’s very quick to make, doesn’t require hard-to-find ingredients, and is filling. For me, it’s one of the go-to options when I don’t want to reinvent dinner but still want something with a clear cheese flavor. It also pairs well with different stuffed pastas if I can’t find sacchettini with radicchio.
Tips and Variations
Tips
- Don’t leave the gorgonzola sauce on the heat too long after it melts, or it may thicken too much.
- Fresh pasta cooks very quickly, so don’t leave it unattended. If it falls apart, it loses its appearance.
- If you want the sauce to be thinner, you can add a tablespoon of the water in which the pasta boiled.
Substitutions
- Instead of sacchettini with radicchio, you can use any stuffed pasta (tortellini or ravioli), but the taste will be different.
- Gorgonzola can be replaced with another blue cheese, but the flavor and texture will not be exactly the same.
- The liquid cream can be replaced with a mix of milk and a little liquid cream if you don’t have special cooking cream.
Variations
- You can add a little fresh spinach (added directly to the sauce at the end) if you want more greenery.
- For a stronger flavor, use spicy gorgonzola.
- If you want something crunchy on top, you can sprinkle a little chopped walnut.
Serving Ideas
- The recipe goes well served with a simple leaf salad or cherry tomatoes.
- You can bring extra parmesan or freshly ground pepper to the table.
- It pairs well with a dry white wine or cold sparkling water.
Frequently Asked Questions
How salty is the gorgonzola sauce?
Gorgonzola is salty, so I don’t recommend adding more salt to the sauce. Taste it at the end and see if you think it’s suitable.
Can I use dried pasta?
Fresh stuffed pasta (like sacchettini) works best. Dried stuffed pasta has a different texture and usually doesn’t behave as well with this type of sauce.
What do I do if my sauce thickens too much?
Take the sauce off the heat and add a tablespoon of the hot water in which the pasta boiled. Stir until you reach the desired consistency.
Do I need to add onion, garlic, or other flavor?
No. The recipe is designed to be simple, focusing on the flavor of the cheese and the stuffed pasta.
Can I keep leftovers for the next day?
Yes, but the texture of the stuffed pasta won’t be the same after cooling and reheating.
Nutritional Values (estimates)
One serving (out of 2 servings) contains approximately:
Calories: 500-600 kcal
Protein: 20-25 g
Fat: 25-30 g
Carbohydrates: 45-55 g
Values are estimates, depending on the type of pasta and how much parmesan you serve. The gorgonzola cheese sauce is quite rich, so it’s not a low-calorie option, but it is filling.
Storage and Reheating
Stuffed pasta with this sauce can be stored in the fridge, in a closed container, for a maximum of 1 day. When reheating, the texture becomes softer, and the sauce may separate a little. I recommend adding a tablespoon of milk or water when reheating, over low heat, stirring gently. However, the recipe is best served fresh.