Creamy gorgonzola melts into hot pasta with butter and garlic, studded with toasted walnuts and a bite of black pepper. One of the few dinners where this blue cheese gets to be the whole story, built for speed on nights when the pantry is the only friend you have.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 1030 calories a serving, 36 g protein, 101 g carbohydrate, 55 g fat. From USDA figures for 83% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Toast 1/2 cup walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for three minutes, shaking the pan often, until fragrant; pour onto a plate. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook 8 ounces of pasta according to package directions until al dente.10 min
2. While the pasta cooks, melt 2 tablespoons butter with 2 minced garlic cloves in the same skillet over medium heat until foaming, then lower to medium-low so nothing browns.
3. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of cooking water. Add the hot pasta to the butter and garlic, then crumble 4 ounces of gorgonzola over the top and toss gently while it melts, adding cooking water 2 tablespoons at a time until you have a silky sauce that clings to each strand.2 min
4. Divide between two bowls, scatter the walnuts over each, grind 1/2 teaspoon pepper across the top, and taste for salt before serving.

Note Swap the walnuts for toasted pine nuts or hazelnuts if that's what you have. Leftovers will keep three days in the fridge but the cheese may separate as it cools; warm gently with a splash of water to bring it back. Serve with a sharp green salad and crusty bread.