Champagne Grapes & Gorgonzola Cheese Sauce with Spaghetti

As I stood at the stove waiting for the the water to boil, I yearned for something a little more interesting for dinner but I didn't want to sacrifice time. I wanted something quick but something gourmet. I love September for many reasons and the different varieties of grapes available are one of them. I love Concord and Champagne grapes, they are always a treat for me, come this time of year. I could eat a bunch of Concord grapes for dinner and be a happy girl. As I stood there, tossing the spaghetti into the boiling water, salting it and giving it a drizzle of olive oil, I thought of the Champagne grapes that I planned to munch on, while looking through the Vogue September issue. Once I opened the fridge and saw those grapes, they were practically begging to be combined with the Gorgonzola cheese that was sitting on the second shelf and the spaghetti that was boiling away on the stove. Was I excited, as I put away that jar of roasted garlic tomato sauce, as deeply satisfying it is, at times. This dish doesn't take much time but tastes like it took all day! I loved this dish and I hope you do too! This serves 3, but it's so good, that it could just end up serving 2. ;)

• 1/2 pound spaghetti, cooked until al dente
• 1 cup of Champagne grapes
• 1 cup loosely packed crumbly Gorgonzola cheese plus a few slivers for garnish
• 2 oz. light cream
• 1/2 pat unsalted butter
• a few hazelnuts, crushed and roughly chopped for garnish

In a non-stick pan, melt the butter on low to medium heat until it sizzles, add the cream and cheese, stir with a spatula until the cream thickens up and the cheese melts. This only takes about a minute or two. Add the grapes and increase the heat to high until the grapes are warmed through. This takes about 3 minutes. I'm telling you, this dish is so quick to pull together! The only time consuming part of this dish, is the water boiling for the spaghetti and pulling the grapes off their branches! Pour over the spaghetti and combine well. Garnish with the a sliver of cheese and the chopped hazelnuts. Enjoy!