Four cheese pasta, quattro formaggi pasta, a food coma waiting to happen, whatever you want to call this, can we all rejoice in the fact that it’s one of the tastiest pasta recipes around? Okay good. 4 cheese pasta is a classic in many Italian restaurants and here I’ll show you how unbelievably easy it is to make at home. Follow me…
Four Cheese Pasta Sauce
The sauce itself is incredibly simple. I tend to split it into the following three categories:
1. Base
The base of the sauce is a straight 50/50 split of milk and cream. No need for a roux, or any other thickening agent, the cheese will lightly thicken the sauce.
2. Cheese
Realistically what we all came here for. I’ve tried to keep the cheese selection as traditional as possible, whilst still using cheeses you’ll easily find at the store. Here’s what I deem to be the ultimate 4 cheese sauce:
Taleggio – Fairly mellow but makes a great base to build flavours and also helps create a smooth and creamy sauce. Gorgonzola – Even if you don’t like blue cheese I highly recommend adding this. Gorgonzola is much milder and creamier than other, harder blue cheeses. It gives a gorgeous background flavour, but won’t overpower the sauce. Gruyere – Adds a nice sweet and nutty flavour. Parmigiano Reggiano – Is it even legal to make a pasta sauce without this?!
You can make some substitutions, I’ve added a few options in the recipe card.
3. Seasoning
The sauce really speaks for itself to be honest, so you don’t need to go overboard with the seasoning. But alongside salt and pepper, I highly recommend adding nutmeg. It really compliments the sauce and enhances those nutty tones from some of the cheeses.
How to make 4 Cheese Pasta
Again, a very simple process. To thicken the milk and cream, you’ll want to begin by adding Taleggio and Gorgonzola. These melt into the sauce nicely and begin thickening it. After that just stir through your grated cheeses and add seasoning. Plonk in pasta and jobs a good’n.
Sauce Consistency
This isn’t the type of recipe where the pasta is drowning in the sauce. The sauce is light and silky, it should just wrap around the pasta nicely. If the sauce is still thin once the pasta is added, just gently simmer until it attaches to the pasta.
Starchy Pasta Water
With the same token, if you over-reduce the sauce, I’d always keep a cup of the water your pasta cooked in, just in case. The starch molecules help emulsify the fats in the sauce and not only help thicken it but also turn it nice and glossy.
What’s the best pasta to use?
Here I use Mezzi Rigatoni (half rigatoni), but in theory, you can use any shortcut pasta you like! Process shots: combine milk and cream (photo 1), melt in semi-soft cheeses (photo 2), add grated cheese (photo 3), add seasoning (photo 4), stir in pasta (photo 5).
Can I reheat this?
You can, just don’t stick it in the microwave. It’ll dry up and go grainy. I recommend popping it back in the pan over low heat with a splash of milk, just to retain it’s original sauciness. And there we have it! All my top tips and tricks for the best four cheese pasta. If you’re looking for another quick and easy cheese pasta recipe then make sure you check out my Cream Cheese Pasta! For more similar recipes give these beauties a ganders too:
Spaghetti Carbonara Gorgonzola Pasta Penne Alfredo Creamy Mushroom Pasta Creamy Salmon Pasta
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this four cheese pasta shall we!?
How to make Four Cheese Pasta (Full Recipe & Video)
