Baked FOUR-CHEESE PASTA is a rich and delicious first course, an all-Italian version of the famous American mac & cheese, imitating its creaminess but exceeding it by far thanks to the variety of excellent ingredients and, naturally, the perfect doneness of the pasta. The recipe is a perfect mix of some of the best Italian cheeses (of course, you can swap them for others if you prefer, as long as they have similar creaminess and flavor characteristics…).
The béchamel enriches the dish and helps create that golden crust every lover of indulgent food goes crazy for. This first course, which usually pleases everyone, can also be prepared in advance and is therefore perfect for holidays when you want to spend time with guests instead of being stuck in the kitchen. Just bake the dish after storing it in the refrigerator and in a few minutes it will release all its aroma and deliciousness.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 13.5 oz Pasta (spirals, penne, rigatoni)
- 5.3 oz Fontina
- 4.2 oz Gorgonzola (mild with mascarpone)
- 5.3 oz Gorgonzola (spicy)
- 2.1 oz Parmigiano Reggiano
- to taste Salt
- to taste Black pepper
- 1.5 cups Milk
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1/4 cup All-purpose flour
- to taste Nutmeg
Tools
- 2 Small saucepans
- 1 Pot
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Baking dish
- 1 Whisk
Preparation
Making this wonderful FOUR-CHEESE PASTA is really easy and the result is finger-licking good.
Start by preparing the BÉCHAMEL. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat (do not brown it). Then add the flour, stirring with a whisk to avoid lumps.
Once the roux has taken on a pleasant hazelnut color, remove from the heat and pour in the warm milk little by little, continuing to stir.Return to the heat, add the nutmeg, reduce the flame and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring continuously.
The béchamel should remain fairly soft. Remove it from the heat, season with a little more nutmeg if needed, cover it with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface and set aside.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta, removing it 3 minutes before the time indicated on the package, in plenty of salted water (I recommend salting it more than usual, since it will then be cooled in cold water to stop the cooking, and will lose much of its saltiness).
Drain the pasta and immediately place it in a bowl with plenty of ice water. Meanwhile, cut all the cheeses into cubes.
Drain the pasta, put it in another bowl and add the béchamel, the cheeses and almost all the Parmigiano.Adjust the pepper, salt if necessary and mix everything well. Transfer the pasta to a buttered baking dish, sprinkle the surface with the remaining Parmigiano and bake in a preheated static oven at 356°F and cook for 20-25 minutes or until a golden crust has formed.
Turn off the oven, let your delicious FOUR-CHEESE PASTA rest for a few minutes, and serve.
