Rich and decadent! Four cheese pasta sauce can be made with a variety of cheeses, but this combination is particularly satisfying: creamy gorgonzola ‘dolce’ (sweet gorgonzola), taleggio cheese, fontina cheese and gruyere cheese. Best of all? You can whip it up in minutes.
Four cheese pasta sauce can also be enjoyed with a variety of pasta, however rigatoni and penne (or pennette) are preferred in Italy because the sauce can ‘hug’ the pasta both inside and out. This four cheese pasta sauce recipe is also a delicious sauce for gnocchi (Four Cheese Gnocchi recipe).
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Pasta Affair: 50 Authentic Italian Recipes
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Four Cheese Pasta Sauce: Ingredients
As always, it’s important to choose a quality pasta if you want your dish to really sing! To understand why we consider this one of Italy’s best pasta brands, read our article on the topic!
Rigatoni that we use: https://amzn.to/3PPnpo1 (affiliate link)
This Four Cheese Pasta recipe features several fine Italian cheeses.
Gorgonzola ‘Dolce’ Cheese (Sweet Gorgonzola)
Called gorgonzola dolce in Italian (meaning sweet), is a buttery soft cheese with blue veins. Sweet gorgonzola is milder and less aged than its drier counterpart.
Don’t like gorgonzola? Choose another soft cheese with a strong flavor that you enjoy.
Taleggio Cheese
Taleggio cheese is a semisoft cheese that melts well. It has a fruity, tangy flavor. It’s been popular in Italy since ancient times!
Pecorino Romano Cheese
Pecorino Romano cheese is a favorite in Italy. It’s the cheese of choice in many Roman dishes such as Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe, Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe recipe, Pasta alla Gricia recipe and more. We recommend pecorino semi-stagionato (semi-aged) for this Four Cheese sauce because it melts better than a fully aged pecorino.
Gruyère Cheese
Gruyère cheese is a type of swiss cheese which melts really well. It also has an earthy, nutty taste.
How to Make Four Cheese Pasta Sauce: Tips
Honestly, this is an extremely easy dish that will wow any cheese lover out there. Make a roux and add whole milk. Add the diced cheese and stir until the cheese melts. Combine with the pasta of your choice and serve!
Sauce will thicken on the plate!
The finished sauce will continue to thicken on the plate as it cools, so keep that in mind when determining how much to thicken the sauce in the pan.
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Four Cheese Pasta Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 oz gorgonzola cheese dolce or sweet
- 3 oz taleggio cheese
- 4 oz pecorino romano preferably 'semi-stagionato'
- 3 oz gruyere cheese
- 1 ⅔ cup whole milk
- 2 tbsp butter unsalted
- 2 tbsp flour all-purpose is fine
- 1 pinch fine salt or to taste
- 1 pinch black pepper to taste; freshly ground
- 11 oz pasta rigatoni or penne
Instructions
Make the Sauce
- Melt the butter over low heat. Then add the flour and whisk vigorously to make a 'roux.'2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp flour
- Slowly add the whole milk to the roux over medium-low heat, whisking continuously.1 ⅔ cup whole milk
- Add the diced cheeses to the milk.4 oz gorgonzola cheese, 3 oz taleggio cheese, 3 oz gruyere cheese, 4 oz pecorino romano
- Melt the cheeses in the milk over low heat. Stir continuously to avoid burning the cheese. Alternatively, you can melt all ingredients in a bowl over a pan of simmering water (the double-broiler method). Melt until the sauce is creamy and free of lumps.
Finish with Pasta
- Cook the pasta to ‘al dente’ in boiling water according to package instructions.11 oz pasta
- Add the cooked, drained pasta and a ladle of the pasta water to the four cheese sauce.
- Reduce the the sauce with the penne over very low heat for about 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Cook until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Remember: It's best to plate the sauce while still a bit runny, as the sauce will continue to thicken on the plate!1 pinch fine salt, 1 pinch black pepper
