Pasta with four-cheese sauce Recipe
Pasta quattro formaggi, or pasta in a four-cheese sauce, is an Italian way to lift your mood after a long day. The sauce is thick, creamy and very cheesy – like an Italian version of homemade comfort food. Ideal for a quick meal when you want something filling and simple, yet with a restaurant-style effect.
Pasta quattro formaggi is the essence of Italian-style comfort food – a thick, velvety sauce made from several cheeses coats the pasta and gives an instant feeling of fullness and cosiness. Each cheese brings different notes: some are sharp and tangy, others buttery and mild, so the sauce is multi-dimensional even though it comes together very quickly. It’s a dish that looks restaurant-worthy but in practice needs only one pot and one pan.
Chef's tips
Cheese sauces like low heat – add the cheeses to a warm but not boiling mixture of cream and milk, stirring constantly so they melt evenly and don’t curdle. Choose cheeses with different textures (for example Parmesan, gorgonzola, a soft blue cheese, mozzarella or fontina), but grate them finely so they melt more easily. Combine the pasta with the sauce immediately after draining, along with a little cooking water – this helps create a smooth, glossy sauce that clings well to the pasta.
How to serve
Serve immediately, topped with freshly ground black pepper and, if you like, a little grated lemon zest or chopped parsley to cut through the richness. This pasta goes well with a simple green salad with a light vinaigrette and a glass of dry white wine to refresh the palate. It’s a great choice for an evening after a long day at work when you need something hearty and soothing but don’t want to cook for an hour.
Ingredients
- pasta - 400 g
- heavy cream 30% or 36% - 250 ml
- milk for a lighter sauce - 100 ml
- cheese - 60 g
- cheese - 50 g
- cheese if in a ball, tear into pieces - 80 g
- cheese grated - 60 g
- butter - 20 g
- garlic optional - 1 clove
- salt to taste, carefully, the cheeses are salty
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- parsley chopped, for serving - 1 handful
Preparation
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil, salt it lightly and cook the pasta according to the packet instructions until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the rest.
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce. In a wide saucepan or deep frying pan melt the butter over low heat. If using garlic, add it finely chopped and fry for about 30 seconds, until fragrant but not browned.
- Pour in the cream and milk and heat over medium heat until hot but not boiling.
- Add the crumbled gorgonzola, grated Parmesan, mozzarella and yellow cheese. Stir gently with a spoon or whisk for 3–5 minutes, until the cheeses melt and you have a smooth, thick sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add a little milk or pasta cooking water.
- Season the sauce with freshly ground pepper. Taste and, if needed, add a little salt – remember the cheeses are already salty.
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and mix thoroughly over medium heat for 1–2 minutes, until the pasta is evenly coated. If the sauce seems too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water.
- Serve immediately, sprinkled with chopped parsley and extra Parmesan if you like.
Storage
Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently over low heat with a splash of milk or water, stirring until the sauce loosens again; avoid boiling so the cheese sauce doesn’t split.
