Pasta with Four-Cheese Sauce
Mar 11, 2020
So if you are a Blue Cheese lover as I am, AND you can’t get enough pasta, then this recipe is for you!
I remember finding the first inspiration for what became this sauce when I was 16 years old. I had my first independent job at a kitchen supply store in a mall, and I was fascinated with the sheer volumes of cookbooks we had for sale. During my breaks, I’d go to the backroom and eat my “food court” meal and copy recipes painstakingly by hand. I was just a kid…I didn’t have money for all these fancy cookbooks.
This recipe was near and dear to my heart because it was at a time when we didn’t really have a concept of “pasta” in the United States. We had “spaghetti night,” lasagna and “Chef Boyardee.” Even then now renamed “PastaRoni” was only “NoodleRoni” then! The cookbook I found had all these exotic sauces for real pasta…rigatoni, farfalle, rotini, crespelle, papardelle…I was in heaven.
Recently I found my original hand-written copy of this recipe and I had a nostalgic moment looking back at my 16 year old self, who would NEVER in her wildest dreams imagined I’d find myself where I am today.
This recipe has been a favorite of my family since the first time I shared it with them. It became a Lenten favorite when we wanted something really decadent on meatless Fridays but weren’t eating meat. You don’t need anything to go with this other than a crisp salad, maybe a fresh garlic bread from an artisan loaf (if you don’t mind the extra carb hit!) and a nice crisp glass of white wine or robust red, as you prefer. Enjoy!
Note for the recipe: For this sauce, select your favorite crumbly blue, whether that’s a middle-of-the-road Amish Blue or a ripe Italian Gorgonzola. It’s a matter of personal taste and you can even vary them up from time to time and see how the flavor profile changes.
Pasta with Four-Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 large cloves Garlic minced or pressed
- 8 oz Cream Cheese
- 4 oz Blue Cheese crumbled
- 4 oz Swiss Cheese shredded
- 4 oz Parmesan Cheese shredded
- 3/4 cup Whipping Cream
- salt, pepper, fresh grated nutmeg to taste
- 1 lb Pasta, fresh or dried
Instructions
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Heat the oil in a medium heavy bottom saucepan over medium heat (a non-stick coated pan is best). Add oil and swirl until fragrant, approximately 30 seconds, being careful not to scorch garlic.
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Add all four cheeses to saucepan, reduce heat to low. Stir regularly to combine cheeses and allowing them to melt together. Add 1/4 cup of cream and stir to combine.
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Continue to stir cheese mixture frequently, to assist in melting smoothly. Be careful not to scorch. If mixture seems to thick, add an additional 1/4 cup cream and stir.
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Meanwhile, cook pasta as directed, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid when pasta is al dente. Drain and keep warm.
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When cheeses are all melted and combined, add remaining cream if mixture seems to thick (the thickness of the sauce is a personal preference). Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg (if desired). Toss hot pasta with 1/2 of the sauce and add reserved pasta water, a little at a time until sauce sticks nicely to the sauce and you like the consistency.
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Serve pasta hot, with additional sauce for topping pasta as desired.
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