TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Penne ai Quattro FormaggiFour-Cheese Penne
Creamy pasta coated in 4 cheeses, embodying northern Italy's dairy culture. Gorgonzola leads, Fontina melts and Parmigiano adds definition. The secret is never to boil the sauce: the cheese will split.
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Ingredients (4 servings)
- Penne rigate320 g
- Gorgonzola dolceTear into small pieces.100 g
- FontinaTear into small pieces.80 g
- Parmigiano Reggiano, grated60 g
- Pecorino Romano, grated30 g
- Heavy cream (at least 35% fat)200 ml
- Unsalted butter20 g
- Coarsely ground black peppera little
Method
Prepare the cheeses
- 1 Tear the Gorgonzola and Fontina into small pieces so they melt readily.
- 2 Grate the Parmigiano and Pecorino.
Ready when
Finish once all the cheeses are prepared.
Melt the Gorgonzola
- 1 Put 20 g butter and 200 ml cream in a frying pan over low heat.
- 2 Once warm, add the Gorgonzola and melt slowly, pressing it with a wooden spoon.
Ready when
Continue once the Gorgonzola has melted smoothly.
Caution
Never let it boil: the cheese will split.
Make the cheese sauce
- 1 MeanwhileStart bringing a large pot of water to a boil, with 10 g salt per 1 L water.
- 2 Add the Fontina and melt it into the mixture.
- 3 Mix in the Parmigiano and Pecorino to make a thick, flowing sauce.
- 4 Add 3–4 grinds of black pepper.
Ready when
The sauce is ready when thick and flowing.
Caution
Keep the heat low throughout.
Boil the pasta
- 1 Add the penne to the prepared boiling salted water and cook al dente, 1 minute less than the package time.
- 2 Reserve 100 ml cooking water.
Ready when
Remove once al dente.
Coat the pasta
- 1 Transfer the al dente penne to the sauce and toss quickly.
- 2 Adjust the sauce with 1–2 tbsp cooking water; its high cheese content makes it set readily.
Ready when
Finish when the pasta is evenly coated.
Serve
- 1 Plate and finish with plenty of coarsely ground black pepper.
About this dish
Lombardy is one of Italy's largest dairy regions, and near Milan the town name Gorgonzola lives on in the cheese. Cheeses from Alpine valleys, the Po basin and Emilia gathered in urban markets, and cheese-centered pasta dishes spread through northern Italy in the 20th century.
Rather than belonging to one particular village, quattro formaggi brings northern dairy culture to the city table. In the cool months of autumn and winter, homes and trattorias serve rich cheese pasta as a primo after the antipasto, creating the center of the meal alongside wine.
It now appears on tourist menus too, but its background lies in the dairy history connecting Lombardy, Valle d'Aosta and Emilia-Romagna. By bringing cheeses from several places together, this enduring favorite conveys the richness of northern Italy's dairy lands.
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