Pasta with Chicken & Four Cheeses -Kvnh17B
Submitted by terihy
Pasta with chicken in a creamy tomato sauce blended with four Italian cheeses: Bel Paese, ricotta, Romano, and Gorgonzola. A rich, indulgent pasta dinner with plum tomatoes, heavy cream, and butter.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
45 minREADY
60 minFour cheeses in one pasta sauce might sound excessive, but each one brings something different. Bel Paese melts into creamy smoothness, ricotta adds body without sharpness, Romano contributes salty bite, and Gorgonzola delivers a bold, tangy funk. Together they create a sauce with more depth than any single cheese could achieve.
The base starts with a simple tomato sauce: onion softened in butter and olive oil, garlic, and canned plum tomatoes simmered until thickened. Heavy cream gets reduced separately, then the two are combined. That’s your canvas.
Chicken breast pieces go into the simmering sauce raw and cook directly in it, absorbing the tomato-cream flavors as they firm up. About two minutes is all they need. Then the four cheeses and remaining butter get stirred in, melting into the hot sauce and turning it silky and rich.
Toss with penne, rigatoni, or ziti. Tube-shaped pastas catch the thick sauce inside and out.
Chef Tips
- Use whole canned plum tomatoes in puree, not pre-diced. Whole tomatoes have better texture and less added liquid.
- Reduce the cream before adding it to the tomato sauce. Unreduced cream thins the sauce too much and it won’t coat the pasta.
- Cut the chicken into small, uniform pieces so they cook through quickly in the sauce without overcooking.
- Fontina is a good substitute for Bel Paese; Parmesan works in place of pecorino Romano.
Variations
- Skip the chicken for a vegetarian four-cheese pasta.
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the tomato sauce for a little heat.
- Stir in a handful of fresh basil with the parsley for a brighter, more aromatic finish.
Ingredients
Directions
*Use canned whole plum tomatoes in puree.
*Parmesan can be substituted for pecorino and Fontina can be substituted for Bel Paese cheese.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter with oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat.
Add onion, cover and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
Add garlic and stir 1 minute.
Blend in tomatoes. Increase heat to medium high and simmer uncovered until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
Season lightly with salt and generously with fresh ground pepper.
Bring cream to boil in heavy large skillet.
Reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in tomato sauce.
Keep sauce warm.
Cook pasta in large amount of boiling salted water until al dente.
When pasta is almost done, return sauce to simmer.
Add chicken to sauce and stir until pieces are just firm, about 2 Blend in cheeses and remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Drain pasta. Add to sauce, tossing to coat. Adjust seasoning. Spoon mixture into heated bowls. Garnish with minced parsley and serve. Pass additional grated cheese separately.
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