Cheese, cheese, and MORE CHEESE!
Who doesn’t just love cheese? Don’t lie now! Even if it is ever-so fattening (as in, just lather it on my behind), cheese just rocks! Whenever I serve Pasta Quattro Formaggi, which is Italian for “Pasta with Four Cheeses”, everyone, especially kids, always scream for seconds.
The most commonly used cheese varieties for this recipe are parmesan, gorgonzola, fontina, and provolone or mozzarella. You can use any of your favorite cheese though. Some people use mascarpone or goat cheese, which may add some creaminess to the mix. Even ‘Trader Joe’s’ has a blend that includes asiago cheese. But as my Italian family says, “You can never have too much cheese”! So throw a bunch in the pan. There’s just something about cheese from Italy that perfectly stimulates taste buds and satisfies tummies around the world.
After a bowl of this (I hate to even think of the calories and grams of fat), it’s time to go on one of those crazy cleanse diets . . . remember the cabbage soup diet? Ugh!
So like a big kid in a candy store cheese shop, dig into a creamy bowl of this decadent pasta, forget about the calories and fat, and simply enjoy!
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PinIngredients
- 1 lb. penne mezze (short penne)
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup gorgonzola cheese, broken into small pieces/chunks
- ½ cup parmigiano cheese, grated
- 1 cup Fontina cheese, grated
- ½ cup Asiago cheese, grated
- 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 – 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 – 2 dashes of ground nutmeg
- 4 Tbsp. Italian parsley, minced
- freshly cracked sea salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Bring tall pot of water to a rolling boil, add penne pasta and 4 Tbsp. salt.
- Cook pasta for 5 minutes, until ‘al dente’.
- Heat a stove burner to medium-low.
- In a large sauce pan, pour olive oil and add minced garlic; saute’ garlic for about 2 minutes.
- Add the heavy cream and all cheeses; do not use a very hot burner or everything will burn.
- Add nutmeg, salt and pepper.
- When pasta is finished cooking (after about 5 minutes), take a hand strainer to dip into the pasta water and strain pasta over the pot (much faster this way).
- Put drained pasta in the sauce pan full of hot cheese sauce.
- Add about a ladle-ful of pasta water to the pasta and cheese mixture.
- Taste!
- Add more cheese of the flavor you believe that it needs according to your preferences.
- Add more cream if it needs it; or if it needs more pasta water, you can also add more at this time.
- Pour the creamy pasta onto a large pasta platter.
- Garnish with minced Italian parsley.
- Serve immediately while the pasta and sauce is hot.
Notes
- This can be refrigerated and enjoyed for a few more days. Just add more cream and/or grated cheese to get the refrigerated pasta to become creamy again after being in the refrigerator.
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
July 31, 2016 at 1:51 AMCheese, cheese…the more, the tastier and the merrier!
Roz says
July 31, 2016 at 6:49 PMLet’s have a cheese party together, Angie! You’re my first to invite and enjoy cheese together!
Ciao,
Roz
Larry says
July 31, 2016 at 9:49 AMI’m with you when it comes to cheese and eat it nearly everyday. This dish looks awesome and I would be diving in with both hands.
Roz says
July 31, 2016 at 6:50 PMI’ve eaten 3 bowls in 2 days, Larry. I hate to get on the scale to see the damage. Oh hell, I love it anyway!
Ciao,
Roz
Tammi @ Momma's Meals says
July 31, 2016 at 11:45 AMWOW. This is something that I could devour and then starve myself for a week if need be! It would be worth it. I LOVE all cheeses!
Roz says
July 31, 2016 at 6:54 PMThat’s just the way I think too, Tammi! Hey, we’ve got to splurge once in a while and cheese is one of the most delicious ways to indulge (and then diet)!
Ciao,
Roz
Sarah Reid, CNP (@jo_jo_ba) says
July 31, 2016 at 4:10 PMWho could EVER pass this up? I’ll take their share!
Roz says
July 31, 2016 at 7:01 PMI know what you mean, Sarah! I’ll take someone’s serving of this pasta too! Thanks for stopping by!
Ciao,
Roz
Liz says
July 31, 2016 at 5:10 PMOh, boy, I’d do the same—dive in and ignore the calories! What a fabulous splurge—I have a feeling my family would be thrilled with this pasta, too!
Roz says
July 31, 2016 at 6:44 PMLiz, if my Bill liked this pasta, I know that your Bill will too. And if you need to satisfy others with meat, you can always add prosciutto, bacon, or pancetta….or serve some meatballs on the side.
Ciao,
Roz
Phyllis@Oracibo says
August 1, 2016 at 5:57 PMNo guilt right! Adding in the meat component makes it even more decadent! I know a tiny 2 or 3 oz portion of the pasta first…OK…maybe just go for the gold!
Carlee says
July 31, 2016 at 10:31 PMSometimes you have to ignore the calories and just enjoy yourself. This looks like an excellent excuse to do just that!
2 Sisters Recipes says
August 1, 2016 at 8:47 AMWhat a delicious idea! love you recipe for the 4 cheeses on pasta! Hope you had a great weekend!
Warmly,
Anna and LIz
2 Sisters Recipes says
August 1, 2016 at 8:49 AMsorry for the typo’s!
Pam says
August 1, 2016 at 3:26 PMAbsolutely! The more cheese, the better! Forget about the calories and enjoy, I’d say. Thanks for the recipe!
Shari Kelley says
August 1, 2016 at 3:35 PMOh, my! You had me at cheese. I love your family’s philosophy of never being able to have too much cheese. I am definitely saving this recipe. It looks so good! Thank you, Roz. I hope you’re having a good summer!
Cindy Kerschner says
August 1, 2016 at 8:40 PMThe more cheese the better!
Ciao Chow Linda says
August 2, 2016 at 9:00 PMOh my! All those delicious cheeses in one dish? That’s the ultimate mac n’ cheese!
Lauren @ Sew You Think You Can Cook says
August 5, 2016 at 1:54 PMSounds super flavorful. And I never shy away from a creamy pasta.
Roz says
August 10, 2016 at 6:42 PMHi Lauren,
I agree with you that creamy pasta is superb!
Thanks for stopping by!
Ciao,
Roz
Pam H. says
August 7, 2016 at 9:30 AMI love pasta and trying new pasta dishes. This pasta recipe sounds delicious and easy enough to make during the week.
Roz says
November 28, 2017 at 8:49 PMHi Pam,
I just saw your comment and apologize for the late reply. Yes, this pasta recipe is super easy and can be made in no time with delicious results!
Thanks for stopping by!
Ciao,
Roz
ChgoJohn says
August 7, 2016 at 10:59 PMWonderful, Roz! I love using asiago and fontina cheeses in pasta dishes. Your addition of gorgonzola puts your dish over the top. This is truly a Sunday supper, if ever there was on. 🙂