1. Bring a covered 10-12 quart pot of salted water to boil (to cook the pasta).
Fettucine with Bacon, Arugula, and Stilton™ Sauce
Ingredients
1 lb. good quality smoked bacon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot or one-half of a small onion, diced
One-half cup dry white wine
1 and one-quarter cups unsalted, canned chicken stock
One-quarter teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 lb. fettucine
9 ounces Stilton cheese, divided
One-quarter cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
10 cups loosely packed arugula (or spinach leaves)
Black pepper to taste
One-half cup pine nuts, toasted
Method
2. Meanwhile, cook the bacon until crisp. Drain on paper toweling. Break cooled bacon into bite-size pieces. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings in the pan.
3. In these drippings, sauté garlic and shallot over medium heat for 2 minutes, or until they become soft and begin to brown.
4. Add white wine, cooking for 6 minutes. Add stock, thyme, bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. At this same time, add fettucine to the pot of boiling water, stirring often, cooking it according to manufacturer’s directions (this should be about 11-12 minutes).
5. While pasta is cooking, place 8 ounces of Stilton, heavy cream, and Dijon mustard in a blender or food processor and purée until smooth. Whisk this into the wine-stock sauce, reducing heat to low. Simmer until the fettucine is ready to be drained.
6. Drain pasta well. Cover the pasta with the pan lid.
7. Meanwhile, add the arugula, pieces of bacon, black pepper, and pine nuts to the sauce, tossing frequently for 30-60 seconds. Arugula will wilt and bacon and nuts will become heated.
8. Taste the sauce before adding any salt, as the bacon and cheese usually add enough.
9. In a large bowl, pour the sauce over the fettucine, tossing well. Sprinkle with the remaining ounce of crumbled Stilton.
Serves 6 as a first course, 4 as an entrée.
Recipe by Rosemary Furfaro
How to Care for Stilton