Beetroot Rigatoni with Gorgonzola | Creamy Italian Pasta

Bring a generous amount of water to a boil in a large pot for the pasta. Once boiling, add 1 teaspoon of fine salt. Add the dry rigatoni pasta and cook for 1 minute less than indicated on the package so it remains firm, al dente. Before draining, ladle out and set aside at least 1.5–2 dl of starchy cooking water.

Dice the cooked beetroot and place it in a food processor or blender. Add the peeled fresh garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt and black pepper, and the picked leaves of fresh thyme. Add 1 ladle (approx. 1 dl) of hot pasta cooking water, then blend until completely smooth and velvety.

In a dry frying pan over medium heat, toast the walnuts for 2–3 minutes until fragrant and lightly browned. Set aside to cool, then chop roughly.