Italian Four-Cheese Pasta Sauce

By
Kyle Phillips
Kyle Phillips
Food, wine, and travel writer Kyle Phillips lived in Tuscany and developed his passion and expertise for food and cooking through travel.
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Updated on 08/25/21
Four-Cheese Pasta Sauce Recipe

The Spruce

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 4 servings

This recipe for a creamy Italian four-cheese sauce, salsa ai quattro formaggi, works great on any type of pasta or gnocchi. It works particularly well on short shapes, like penne, farfalle, or shells. 

This creamy four cheese pasta recipe makes enough to sauce one 14-ounce package of pasta (about 4 servings).  Feel free to experiment and use different cheeses, as long as they are the same type of cheese. Use a hard, aged cheese to substitute for the Parmigiano, or a mild, creamy cheese to substitute for the Fontina. Gruyère would be a good option too.

Garlic bread is a natural accompaniment for whatever pasta you decide to use this delicious sauce on.

Ingredients

  • 1 (14-ounce) package pasta, your choice

  • 1 cup whole milk

  • 2 to 3 ounces Gorgonzola Dolce, or a mild blue cheese

  • 2 to 3 ounces Fontina cheese

  • 1 pinch freshly ground nutmeg

  • 1 pinch white pepper

  • 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

  • Fine sea salt, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Four-Cheese Pasta Sauce ingredients
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  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add whichever type of pasta you choose.

    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil
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  3. Stir, bring back to a boil and start timing according to your desired degree of doneness and instructions on the package.

    stir boiling pasta
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  4. While the pasta is cooking, in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the milk over medium-low heat.

    heat milk
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  5. Add the Gorgonzola and Fontina, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until they are melted and the mixture is homogeneous.

    add cheese
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  6. Add the nutmeg and white pepper. 

    add nutmeg and white pepper
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  7. About 1 minute before the pasta is done, remove it from heat and drain it.

    drain pasta
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  8. Transfer the drained pasta to a large skillet and stir in the milk-and-cheese mixture and the Parmigiano and Pecorino.

    stir in milk mixture and cheese
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  9. Cook, shaking the pan continuously and vigorously until the sauce has thickened and the pasta is perfectly al dente and coated in the cheese sauce. Season to taste with fine sea salt.

    cook, season to taste
    The Spruce 

  10. Serve hot, with additional grated cheese for topping, if desired, and a green salad or vegetables.

    Four-Cheese Pasta Sauce Recipe
    The Spruce

Recipe Variation

  • To make this a complete meal, add cooked chicken, seafood, pork, or beef to the finished dish.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
469 Calories
24g Fat
37g Carbs
26g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 469
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 24g 30%
Saturated Fat 14g 70%
Cholesterol 73mg 24%
Sodium 1068mg 46%
Total Carbohydrate 37g 14%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 26g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 572mg 44%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 235mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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