Fettuccine with Four Cheese Sauce
This Fettuccine with Four Cheese Sauce will knock your socks off! The homemade, creamy, decadent sauce full of cheesy Italian goodness is anything but your basic Alfredo. One of my most loved family recipes, it is sure to become one of your favorites. It is not difficult to make, but tastes restaurant quality. You will be serving it all year round, to your family, friends, and on special occasions. It is that good!
A few tips here: This dish will come together fairly quickly. The salted pasta water needs to be on the stove heating up while you prepare the sauce. That way you can put the pasta into the boiling water when you need to. Keep in mind that the sauce can sit a few minutes waiting on the pasta. But the pasta can’t sit around waiting on the sauce. You will be transferring the hot pasta directly from its pot into the sauce without draining. So plan accordingly when you begin cooking this dish. You do NOT want mushy pasta!
Also, I am not the cheese police! So feel free to use approximately 2 cups total of the combination of cheeses listed in the recipe. Sometimes I will have more provolone than fontina or I will use a bit more asiago cheese than mozzarella. Other times I have sharp provolone or smoked provolone or even a white cheddar. I typically always use mozzarella and either parmesan or asiago, but will substitute the other white cheeses with whatever I have on hand if I needed. It’s all good! Again, you are shooting for about 2 cups total (maybe a little more) of a combination of white cheeses. This sauce is creamy, fabulous, delicious — and genuinely hard to mess up.
We enjoy this Fettuccine with Four Cheese Sauce with steaks, with chicken, with seafood, or on its own with a green salad. Try it with my Favorite Italian Green Salad with Avocado and some crusty Italian bread.
Fettuccine with Four Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 pint half and half
- ½ pint heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon chicken base I use Better than Buillion chicken base
- 3 tablespoons white wine use what you would drink
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 2 ounces mozzerella cheese shredded
- 2 ounces fontina cheese shredded
- 2 ounces provolone cheese shredded
- 2 ounces romano, parmesan, or asiago cheese shredded
- 1 pound fettuccine can substitute linguini, if desired
- fresh or dried parsley, additional parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Place a large pot of salted water to boil over medium high heat. When water is boiling and sauce is almost finished, add fettuccine and cook to al dente.
- Meanwhile, prepare the sauce and have it ready for when the pasta is done.In a large pot (large enough to accommodate a pound of pasta), melt the butter and add flour to make a roux. Stir and cook about 2 minutes, until golden. Set aside.
- In a separate medium sized saucepan, combine the half and half with the whipping cream and bring to a slow boil (small bubbles) over medium heat. Be careful not to heat too quickly or it will scorch. Add the chicken base and wine. When hot, slowly add this cream mixture to the roux and whisk to combine. Over medium heat, bring to a slow boil and cook until slightly thickened, a couple of minutes.
- Now add the cheeses, a little at a time, stirring well until melted. You will need to be constantly whisking so that the sauce doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Add ground white pepper and cook about 1 to 2 minutes after cheeses have melted. Turn off heat, cover, and check the pasta for doneness.
- When the pasta is done, do not drain. Use tongs to place pasta directly into the sauce. Save the hot pasta water to thin sauce if necessary.Serve in pasta bowls and top with parsley and a sprinkle of parmesan. Mangia!