Across Italy · No.89 / 103
Pasta alla Cenere
Pasta alla Cenere
Rigatoni coated in sweet Gorgonzola and cream, with coarse black-olive crumbs resembling ash.
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Meet the dish
An Italian pasta that folds finely crushed black olives into a Gorgonzola cream
Sweet Gorgonzola is melted gently with cream, then coarsely crushed black olives are folded in at the end. The black flecks resemble ash and give the dish its name while preserving the olives' salty texture.
Pasta shapes to use
- rigatoni
- penne
Key ingredients
- sweet Gorgonzola
- pitted black olives
- fresh cream
- black pepper
Follow the cooking scenes
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Step 1: Crush the olives coarsely
Pulse pitted black olives just until they form small crumbs rather than a smooth paste.
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Step 2: Make the cheese cream
Remove the Gorgonzola rind, dice the cheese and melt it gently with fresh cream until smooth.
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Step 3: Finish the pasta in the sauce
Boil rigatoni until al dente, transfer it to the cream and finish cooking with a ladle of pasta water.
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Step 4: Add the ash effect
Fold in the crushed olives briefly, grind over black pepper and serve immediately.
What to watch for
- Melt Gorgonzola and cream over low heat, loosening with pasta water before the sauce reduces or separates.
- Keep the olives coarse enough to look like ash, and season only after tasting the salty cheese-and-olive mixture.
What sets it apart
Unlike quattro formaggi, it does not layer several cheeses; one sweet Gorgonzola cream and black-olive crumbs create both its flavor and ash-like appearance.