This dish is very rich and comforting – ideal for a cold winters day. Blue cheese is not a favourite for everyone but this dish could be made alternatively with gruyere cheese. 

Ingredients

  • 4  Jack & Eddie’s Sea Salt Dry Cured Rashers chopped into lardons
  • 2 shallots (chopped)
  • 1 large portobello mushroom (chopped)
  • 1 clove of garlic (minced)
  • 80g Cashel Blue Cheese
  • 150ml of Chicken Stock
  • 100ml of fresh cream
  • Handful of flat leaf parsley (chopped)
  • 500g of penne pasta

Method

  1. Chop the rashers into lardon size pieces and fry in two tablespoons of olive oil on a medium high heat until slightly crispy.
  2. Turn the heat down and add the add the chopped shallots and garlic and cook until translucent.
  3. Add the mushrooms and cook for 10 minutes further.
  4. Add 100 ml of  heated chicken stock and set aside the remainder.
  5. Break up the cashel blue cheese into pieces and add to the pan. It should melt into the chicken stock easily.
  6. Add the penne pasta to a pot of boiling water with added salt. 
  7. Add the chopped parsley and cream and simmer for 10 minutes to the sauce mixture and simmer for 10 minutes. The sauce should not be too thick. It will thicken as the sauce cools due to the cheese. 
  8. Strain the cooked penne and add the sauce mixture. Use some of remainder of the hot chicken stock to adjust the sauce
  9. consistency of needed.
  10. Add a twist of black pepper and serve immediately