Festive Baked Penne with Figs and Blue Cheese

Name: Festive Baked Penne with Figs and Blue Cheese
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1 lb (454 g) penne pasta; 1¼ cups (190 g) dried figs, stemmed and quartered, stemmed and quartered; 6 oz (170 g) blue cheese, crumbled, crumbled into bite-size pieces; ¾ cup (85 g) raw walnuts, chopped, chopped into ½-inch pieces; 3 tbsp (43 g) unsalted butter; 1 medium (40 g) shallot, minced, minced; 3 tbsp (24 g) all-purpose flour; 2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream; ¾ cup (180 ml) whole milk; to taste kosher salt; to taste black pepper, freshly ground; ⅛ tsp (¼ g) nutmeg, freshly grated; 2 tbsp (6 g) fresh thyme, leaves only, roughly chopped; ½ cup (50 g) Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated, finely grated; ⅓ cup (40 g) panko breadcrumbs

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A rich and elegant baked pasta dish combining tender penne with sweet dried figs, creamy blue cheese, and toasted walnuts, finished with fresh thyme. This French-inspired holiday classic balances sharp, earthy, and nutty flavors with a silky cream sauce, baked until golden and bubbly.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 35 min
Wait: 10 min
Total: 1 hr 5 min
Makes: 6 servings (about 8 oz. per plate)

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Steps

Before you start

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and position a rack in the upper third
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta
Have all ingredients measured and prepared before you begin cooking

1
Toast the walnutsOven 375°F / 190°C
- Spread the chopped walnuts on a small baking sheet and toast in the preheated 375°F (190°C) oven for 5–6 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until fragrant and lightly golden.
- Remove and set aside on a paper towel.
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Ready when: Walnuts are fragrant and light golden brown
Tip: Toasting prevents the walnuts from becoming mushy in the sauce and intensifies their nutty flavor
2
Cook the penne
- In the large pot of boiling salted water, add the penne and cook for 2 minutes less than the package instructions (the pasta will finish cooking in the oven).
- Drain in a colander, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
- Do not rinse.
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Ready when: Pasta is just tender but still slightly firm to the bite
Tip: Undercooking slightly prevents the pasta from turning mushy after baking. The starch in the pasta water helps the sauce emulsify
3
Melt butter and sauté shallot
- In the medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Add the minced shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2–3 minutes until softened and fragrant but not browned.
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Ready when: Shallot is soft and translucent, fragrant
Tip: Keep the heat at medium to avoid browning the butter, which would darken the sauce
4
Make the roux
- Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter and shallot, stirring constantly for 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste.
- The mixture should look like wet sand.
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Ready when: Flour is incorporated and no longer grainy in appearance
Tip: Cooking the roux removes the raw flour flavor and ensures a smooth sauce with no lumps
5
Build the cream sauce
- Whisk in the heavy cream and whole milk slowly, a splash at a time, stirring constantly to prevent lumps.
- Once smooth, continue whisking until all liquid is incorporated.
- Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 4–5 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon.
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Ready when: Sauce is smooth, pale, and lightly coats a spoon; small bubbles form at the edges
Tip: Whisk constantly to avoid lumps; if lumps do form, pour the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl
6
Season and fold in cheese and figs
- Remove the saucepan from heat.
- Crumble the blue cheese directly into the warm sauce, stirring gently until most of it has melted and created a creamy, tangy sauce (some small pieces can remain for texture).
- Stir in the figs, toasted walnuts, thyme, nutmeg, and reserved pasta water (¼ cup at a time, until the sauce reaches a smooth, pourable consistency, like heavy cream).
- Season generously with salt and black pepper.
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Ready when: Sauce is smooth, creamy, and coats the back of a spoon; blue cheese is mostly melted
Tip: Remove from heat before adding blue cheese to prevent it from breaking or separating. Fold gently to keep chunks of cheese intact
7
Combine pasta and sauce
- Add the drained penne to the sauce and fold gently with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until every piece of pasta is evenly coated.
- If the mixture seems thick, add a splash more of the reserved pasta water.
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Ready when: All pasta is evenly coated in creamy sauce with visible pieces of fig and walnut
Tip: Fold rather than stir to avoid breaking up the pasta and disturbing the fig and walnut pieces
8
Transfer to baking dish
- Lightly butter the 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Pour the penne mixture into the dish, spreading it evenly.
- It should fill the dish about three-quarters full.
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Ready when: Pasta is evenly distributed in the baking dish
Tip: Save a little extra reserved pasta water nearby; if the mixture looks too thick when you begin baking, it will absorb more sauce
9
Prepare topping
- In a small bowl, toss together the panko breadcrumbs, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and a pinch of salt and black pepper.
- Scatter this mixture evenly over the top of the pasta.
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Ready when: Topping is evenly distributed and golden in color (before baking)
Tip: The panko and cheese mixture adds a golden crust and savory contrast to the creamy, sweet-tart filling
10
Bake until golden and bubblyOven 375°F / 190°C
- Place the baking dish in the preheated 375°F (190°C) oven on the upper rack.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling beneath bubbles visibly around the edges of the dish.
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Ready when: Top is golden brown with light char spots; sauce bubbles at the edges
Tip: If the topping begins to brown too quickly, loosely tent with aluminum foil for the last 5 minutes
11
Rest before serving
- Remove the baking dish from the oven and let it rest on the countertop for 10 minutes.
- This allows the sauce to set slightly, making each serving hold together better on the plate.
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Ready when: Topping is still warm but no longer bubbling aggressively at the edges
Tip: Resting is crucial; cutting into the dish while piping hot will result in a loose, soupy texture on the plate
12
Serve
- Spoon the pasta into shallow bowls or onto plates, making sure each serving includes the creamy sauce, pieces of fig, and walnuts.
- Drizzle any extra sauce from the bottom of the dish over the top.
- Garnish with a pinch of fresh thyme if desired.
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Ready when: Each plate is garnished and ready to serve
Tip: Serve immediately while warm so the cheese remains creamy and the breadcrumb topping stays crispy

Good to know

Tips

The key to a silky sauce is constant whisking during the cream-and-milk step; lumps ruin the dish's elegance
Blue cheese's sharpness is balanced by the sweetness of figs and richness of cream, creating complexity in every bite—taste as you go and adjust seasoning
For a lighter version, use equal parts whole milk and cream (1.5 cups each) instead of 2 cups cream and ¾ cup milk; the sauce will be less rich but still delicious
Toast the walnuts separately and add them at the very end if you prefer them to retain a crunchy texture rather than absorbing sauce

Make ahead

The penne and sauce can be combined up to 8 hours ahead; cover and refrigerate. When ready to bake, transfer to the baking dish, add the panko-cheese topping, and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 28–32 minutes until golden and heated through (the mixture will be colder initially). Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Storage & reheating

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a 325°F (163°C) oven, covered with foil, for 15–20 minutes until warmed through. Do not microwave, as the pasta can become tough and the sauce may separate. The dish does not freeze well due to the cream sauce and breadcrumb topping.

Substitutions

blue cheese, crumbled → 6 oz. (170 g) crumbled Gorgonzola, Stilton, or another pungent blue cheese. Different blue cheeses vary in intensity; choose based on your preference for strength of flavor. Milder varieties like Dolcelatte will be less sharp
dried figs, stemmed and quartered → 1¼ cups (180 g) fresh figs (quartered) or ¾ cup (120 g) dried apricots (chopped). Fresh figs add a brighter sweetness; apricots are tangier and slightly less sweet. Add fresh figs at the last moment so they don't break down
raw walnuts, chopped → ¾ cup (85 g) toasted pecans or hazelnuts, chopped. Pecans offer a milder, slightly sweeter flavor; hazelnuts add an earthier note. Toast them the same way as walnuts
fresh thyme → 1 tbsp (3 g) dried thyme or 2 tbsp fresh sage leaves, chopped. Dried thyme is more concentrated, so use half the amount. Sage brings an herbal, slightly peppery note instead of thyme's delicate flavor