Fig Walnut Blue Cheese Pasta

Kay found the very first recipe I ever entered into my book of personal recipe successes. Even back then, she was an inspiring/ depressingly creative cook. We were 20 years old and I didn't know how to do anything except make toast, boil lentils and heat up canned tomato soup. Kay read the back of a dried Mission Figs bag and found this pasta recipe and realized its potential. So we made it together and it turned out to be a gourmet success. I was so proud of us! Julia also adopted this pasta recipe because even someone with her impeccable standards enjoyed it.

Skip forward 11 years. The other night I actually skipped the recipe and just ad-libbed with whatever we had on hand and it still turned out great. So I'm going to share this sloppier, easier version with you.  This fruit, salty, crunchy, gooey dish looks fantastic next to a side of broccoli or green beans.

To the Gluten-Free: This dish would be taste superb with Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta. I promise.

Fig Walnut Blue Cheese Pasta
Serves 4.

Ingredients:
8 ounces good-quality whole wheat spaghetti or brown rice pasta
vegetable oil
1 onion, sliced or chopped up
5-8 dried mission figs, stemmed and chopped small
3 to 4 handfuls of shelled walnuts, chopped small
2 or 3 handfuls of your favorite crumbled blue cheese

Directions:

1. Bring water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until tender and toothy. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, slowly cook onion in a fry pan with oil until sweetened, soft, and a bit darkened.
3. At the same time, toast walnuts until fragrant in a dry fry pan.
4. Mix everything together and serve hot. Make sure all the good bits don't fall to the bottom of the mixing bowl. Tell your guests, "For you, my best."

The pasta actually tastes pretty amazing as a cold leftover too.