Four Cheese Pasta

My kids and hubby often request this dish for their birthdays because they think it’s super fancy. While it does taste fancy, what they don’t know is that the sauce only takes about five minutes to cook and the whole thing is done in about 35 minutes.

It’s made with a combination of soft cheese, blue cheese, melting cheese, and extra-hard Italian cheese. I usually check my fridge, then head to Costco or Trader Joe’s to buy what I’m missing – shopping around for what looks good that day. Play around with your cheeses and see which variety of soft, blue, melting and extra-hard cheese you like best. I’ve added a few suggestions in the recipe.

I also like to play around with the pasta in this dish. Try making it with Cavatappi, Rigatoni, Ziti, Gemelli, Farfalle (Bowties,) or Fusilli. My kids love picking out their favorite shaped pasta for this dish.

Four Cheese Pasta

Servings

8

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 oz soft cheese, like Brie, cut into strips (also try Camembert or Fontina)

  • 4 oz blue cheese, like Gorgonzola, crumbled (also try Roquefort or Stilton)

  • 4 oz firm melting cheese, like Swiss, cut into strips (also try Gruyere or Emmental)

  • 1 cup heavy cream

  • 2 lbs (32 oz) penne pasta

  • salt and fresh ground pepper

  • 1 cup grated Italian extra-hard cheese, like Parmesan (also try Grana Padano, American Grana, or Pecorino)

Directions

  • Put a large pot of water on the stove and set to medium-high. Add 2 Tbsp salt.
  • In a separate saucepan, combine the Brie, Gorgonzola, Swiss, and the heavy cream. Cook gently over low heat for about 5 minutes, until the cheeses are almost completely melted. Stir well and keep warm while the pasta cooks.
  • Add the penne to the boiling water and cook for 10-13 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente.*
  • Drain the pasta, then put it in a large serving bowl. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and stir gently to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • The term al dente is an Italian phrase which means “to the tooth.” When cooked al dente, pasta will be tender but still firm and not mushy.

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