Tangy Danish blue melts into a silky sauce with pears and pasta, dinner built on one good cheese from the shelf. The blue's funky salt and funk pair with sweet fruit, finished with butter and black pepper. This is fast, elegant, and uses what you have.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 840 calories a serving, 28 g protein, 112 g carbohydrate, 31 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook 8 oz pasta until one minute before tender, stirring occasionally. While the water heats, halve, core, and slice the 2 pears into thin wedges.15 min
2. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup pasta water. Return the pot to medium heat and melt 2 tablespoons butter, then add the pear slices and cook, stirring often, until they soften at the edges, about 3 minutes.3 min
3. Add the cooked pasta to the pears and toss gently. Scatter 4 oz crumbled danish blue over the top, then add 1/2 cup pasta water and stir constantly off heat until the blue melts into a creamy sauce, about 1 minute. Add more pasta water if the sauce is too thick.
4. Taste and season with salt and a generous grind of black pepper. Divide between two bowls and serve at once.

Note Swap pears for ripe apple slices if needed. Leftovers keep one day covered; reheat gently with a splash of water. Serve with bitter greens dressed in vinaigrette on the side, or add crusty bread to finish the sauce.