Description
Hearty Italian cheese pasta delivers comfort on a plate with rich, creamy flavors. Generous parmesan and mozzarella blend seamlessly, creating a simple yet satisfying meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 250 grams (8.8 ounces) pasta (spaghetti, penne, or your choice)
- 2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend (mozzarella, parmesan, provolone)
- 1 cup heavy cream
Seasoning and Aromatics:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)
Finishing Ingredients:
- Salt to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and cook pasta until tender yet firm, approximately 8-10 minutes. Carefully drain and reserve.
- Melt butter in a spacious skillet over medium heat, allowing it to become golden and fragrant.
- Introduce minced garlic to the butter, sautéing until it releases its aromatic essence and turns translucent, roughly 60-90 seconds.
- Gently pour heavy cream into the skillet, creating a luxurious base and stirring consistently to prevent scorching.
- Reduce heat to low and incorporate shredded cheese incrementally, whisking continuously until the mixture transforms into a silky, uniform sauce.
- Enhance the sauce with a delicate balance of salt, freshly ground black pepper, and optional chili flakes for a subtle kick.
- Transfer the cooked pasta directly into the cheese sauce, gently folding and coating each strand to ensure complete integration.
- Remove from heat immediately and plate the pasta, adorning with freshly chopped parsley for a vibrant finishing touch.
- Serve piping hot, allowing the creamy sauce to envelop each morsel of pasta.
Notes
- Achieve perfectly cooked pasta by salting the water generously and testing for al dente texture just before draining.
- Prevent sauce from breaking by using low heat and stirring continuously when melting cheese into cream.
- Customize cheese blend by mixing parmesan, mozzarella, and pecorino for deeper flavor complexity and smoother consistency.
- Make the dish gluten-free by substituting regular pasta with zucchini noodles or chickpea pasta for a lighter, dietary-friendly version.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 599 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 39 g
- Saturated Fat: 23 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 46 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg