Pasta ai quattro formaggi, or “4 Cheese Pasta,” is a basic dish that Italians eat after they’re actually within the temper for cheese! It’s a quite simple and quick dish to make, because the sauce might be made in a couple of minutes whereas the pasta boils.
Though penne is the normal selection of pasta form, chances are you’ll wish to think about pairing this sauce with contemporary, do-it-yourself gnocchi. Doing so will lead to a dish from Valle D’Aosta, often known as “Gnocchi alla Bava.”
Which Cheeses to Use for Quattro Formaggi Sauce
The purpose of mixing 4 totally different cheeses into one sauce is to create a balanced, easy taste. The most typical decisions for the 4 cheeses are:
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Gorgonzola – This highly effective, moldy cheese supplies a lot of the tacky kick within the sauce. You possibly can select between “tender/candy” or “agency/spicy” gorgonzola, the latter having a stronger style.
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Taleggio – It is a tender cheese with a consistency much like brie. It’s an amazing cheese for melting right into a sauce, therefore its inclusion.
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Emmental – Also called “Swiss cheese.” That is the mildest of the 4 cheeses, and helps to mix all of the flavors collectively.
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Parmigiano Reggiano – The King of Cheeses, Parmigiano is form of just like the seasoning cheese that helps convey out all the different flavors.
These cheeses might be substituted however attempt to preserve the identical stability of a robust moldy cheese, a really tender cheese, a light mixing cheese, and Parmigiano (which you must actually attempt to stick with). As an example, the gorgonzola might be changed with a Rochefort, or the taleggio might be changed with brie.
Watch the Pasta Grammar video:
PASTA AI QUATTRO FORMAGGI RECIPE
For this recipe, you have to:
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Salt
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12 ounces (340 g) penne pasta, or 3-4 servings of contemporary, do-it-yourself gnocchi
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1 tablespoon (15 g ) unsalted butter
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1.5 ounces (40 g) gorgonzola cheese, minimize into small chunks
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1.75 ounces (50 g) taleggio cheese, minimize into small chunks
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1.75 ounces (50 g) emmental Swiss cheese, grated
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1.5 ounces (40 g) Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated, plus further for topping
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½ cup (120 ml) complete milk, or to style
Convey a big pot of water to a rolling boil and salt it generously. Add the penne pasta and cook dinner as directed on the field, or till “al dente” to your style. Whereas the pasta boils, you’ll be able to put together the sauce.
Word: If you’re cooking dry pasta, reminiscent of penne, begin boiling the pasta earlier than making the sauce. If you’re cooking contemporary pasta, reminiscent of gnocchi, make the sauce first and preserve it heat over very low warmth whilst you boil the pasta. Gnocchi solely takes a couple of minutes to cook dinner, and is completed when all the items float to the floor of the water.
In a big pan, soften the butter over medium/low warmth. As soon as the butter is melted, flip the warmth right down to low and add the gorgonzola, taleggio, Swiss cheese, and about half the milk. Stir till the cheeses have fully melted, then stir within the Parmigiano Reggiano.
Progressively stir extra milk into the sauce till you obtain a consistency you want; the sauce might be made thicker through the use of much less milk or thinner through the use of extra.
At this level, the sauce is completed. Maintain it heat over very low warmth whereas the pasta cooks, giving it a fast stir every so often.
When the pasta is al dente, flip the sauce warmth as much as medium/low and use a slotted ladle to switch the pasta into the sauce. Stir all collectively till the pasta is totally coated in tacky sauce. Serve and eat instantly, topped with some further grated Parmigiano Reggiano.