Blue Cheese and Tomato Pasta

I made this for dinner the other night.  I saw it at the "Good Thymes and Good Food" blog towards the end of January, and am just getting around to trying it.   Click here to see the original recipe.

Blue Cheese and Tomato Pasta

1 pound medium-sized dry pasta shapes (I used Rotelle which looked like that used in the original)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon non-salted butter
1/2 medium yellow onion, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 (14.5 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1 (14.5 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup (about 1-1/2 oz.) good quality blue cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried basil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions; drain and set aside.

Heat the oil and butter in a very large saute pan over medium heat.  Add the onion and crushed red pepper flakes and cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and garlic and saute for 1 minute, until fragrant.  Stir in the crushed and diced tomatoes and the teaspoon of sugar.  Add the vinegar and bring the mixture to a boil and cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 5 minutes.  Add the cream and simmer for 1 minute more.  Stir in the cheeses, basil and cooked pasta.  Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.  Serve immediately.

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End result was that we both loved this recipe and I will be making it again. The 'blue cheese' taste was not overwhelming but added a subtle flavor that we found delicious. It had a little heat from the crushed red pepper but was by no means over the top.  Garnish with fresh cilantro if you like.  I know it's not everybody's cup of tea but we love it .

I went to the store today and picked up a crusty French loaf and bought the fixings for a nice green salad to go with it.

We ate this two nights in a row and it was even better the second time.  We still had leftovers and I have put the rest in the freezer for future meals.