Polenta ai Quattro Formaggi | Italian Four Cheese Polenta Recipe

Quattro formaggi, or “four cheese sauce,” is most commonly associated with pasta, risotto, and pizza. But it makes an excellent, cheesy polenta as well! If you love cheese and are looking for a more unique take on the Italian classic, give polenta ai quattro formaggi a try.

Polenta ai Quattro Formaggi | Italian Four Cheese Polenta Recipe

Which Cheeses to Use for Quattro Formaggi Sauce

The point of combining four different cheeses into one dish is to create a balanced, smooth flavor. The most common choices for the four cheeses are:

• Gorgonzola - This powerful, moldy cheese provides much of the cheesy kick in the sauce. You can choose between “soft/sweet” or “firm/spicy” gorgonzola, the latter having a stronger taste.

• Taleggio - This is a soft cheese with a consistency similar to brie. It’s a great cheese for melting into a sauce, hence its inclusion.

• Emmental - Also known as “Swiss cheese.” This is the mildest of the four cheeses, and helps to blend all the flavors together.

• Parmigiano Reggiano - The King of Cheeses, Parmigiano is sort of like the seasoning cheese that helps bring out all of the other flavors.

These cheeses can be substituted but try to keep the same balance of a strong moldy cheese, a very soft cheese, a mild blending cheese, and Parmigiano (which you should really try to stick to). For instance, the gorgonzola can be replaced with a Rochefort, or the taleggio can be replaced with brie.

A Note on Polenta Flour

Real polenta flour is becoming much more rare these days (at least outside of Italy). It usually needs to be sourced online, but it’s worth seeking out. Any polenta that cooks in less than 30 minutes is some type of instant polenta, and not as good. Real polenta usually takes about 45 minutes to cook!

Watch the Pasta Grammar video:

POLENTA AI QUATTRO FORMAGGI RECIPE

Makes: 4 servings

Cook Time: 45 minutes

For this recipe, you will need:

• Salt

• 1 ¼ cups (200 g) polenta flour

• 2 tablespoons (30 g) unsalted butter

• 2 ounces (55 g) gorgonzola cheese, chopped

• 2 ounces (55 g) taleggio cheese, chopped

• 2 ounces (55 g) Emmental “Swiss cheese,” grated

• 1 ounce (30 g) Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated

Combine water and salt in a medium pot, according to the instructions given on the polenta flour package. Bring the water to a boil, add the polenta flour and cook the polenta as directed (it usually takes about 45 minutes).

When the polenta is about 5 minutes away from being fully cooked, stir in 1 tablespoon (15 g) of butter. Meanwhile, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a small dish using the microwave.

When the butter has fully melted into the polenta, turn the heat to low and stir in all of the cheese until it fully melts. Serve immediately, topped with a drizzle of the melted butter.

Buon appetito!