Directions

1. 1. Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat until the oil shimmers. Add the shallot and saute, stirring often until the shallot is softened but not browned, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and pepper flakes and saute until very fragrant, about a minute. Add the tomatoes, half & half, salt and sugar. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally until the sauce is thickened slightly and mostly smoothed out (see bold print in the post above), about 15 minutes. Add the Gorgonzola and stir until the cheese melts into the sauce.
2. 2. Meanwhile, as the sauce simmers. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add about 1 T. of salt to the water and add the pasta. Cook according to package directions. Drain pasta, reserve about 1 c. of the water you cooked the pasta in, for adding to the finished dish if needed.
3. 3. Add the linguine to the sauce along with the chopped basil. Stir to well-coat the pasta with the sauce, adding the reserved pasta cooking water, a little at a time, if the sauce becomes too thick. Season with freshly ground black pepper.