Pasta ai quattro formaggi, or “4 Cheese Pasta,” is a traditional dish that Italians eat once they’re actually within the temper for cheese! It’s a quite simple and quick dish to make, because the sauce may be made in a couple of minutes whereas the pasta boils.
Though penne is the normal alternative of pasta form, you might need to contemplate pairing this sauce with contemporary, home made gnocchi. Doing so will lead to a dish from Valle D’Aosta, often called “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 commonest selections for the 4 cheeses are:
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Gorgonzola – This highly effective, moldy cheese offers a lot of the tacky kick within the sauce. You possibly can select between “comfortable/candy” or “agency/spicy” gorgonzola, the latter having a stronger style.
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Taleggio – It is a comfortable cheese with a consistency much like brie. It’s an awesome cheese for melting right into a sauce, therefore its inclusion.
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Emmental – Often known as “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 deliver out all the different flavors.
These cheeses may be substituted however attempt to maintain the identical steadiness of a robust moldy cheese, a really comfortable cheese, a gentle mixing cheese, and Parmigiano (which it’s best to actually attempt to stick with). For example, the gorgonzola may be changed with a Rochefort, or the taleggio may be changed with brie.
Watch the Pasta Grammar video:
PASTA AI QUATTRO FORMAGGI RECIPE
For this recipe, you will want:
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Salt
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12 ounces (340 g) penne pasta, or 3-4 servings of contemporary, home made gnocchi
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1 tablespoon (15 g ) unsalted butter
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1.5 ounces (40 g) gorgonzola cheese, reduce into small chunks
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1.75 ounces (50 g) taleggio cheese, reduce 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 additional for topping
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½ cup (120 ml) entire milk, or to style
Deliver a big pot of water to a rolling boil and salt it generously. Add the penne pasta and prepare 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: In case you are cooking dry pasta, similar to penne, begin boiling the pasta earlier than making the sauce. In case you are cooking contemporary pasta, similar to gnocchi, make the sauce first and maintain it heat over very low warmth when you boil the pasta. Gnocchi solely takes a couple of minutes to prepare dinner, and is finished 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 all the way 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.
Steadily stir extra milk into the sauce till you obtain a consistency you want; the sauce may be made thicker by utilizing much less milk or thinner by utilizing extra.
At this level, the sauce is finished. Hold it heat over very low warmth whereas the pasta cooks, giving it a fast stir now and again.
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 additional grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
