Cheesecake Factory Four Cheese Pasta Copycat Recipe is better than the original. With a decadently cheesy tomato sauce coating al dente penne pasta, this recipe is super family friendly and a great way to enjoy this dish at home.
Making pasta copycat recipes at home is one of my favorite things to do! You can often make them just as good (or better) than the restaurant version at a fraction of the cost. Some of our other favorites are Olive Garden Steak Gorgonzola and Olive Garden Chicken Tortellini Alfredo.
This cheesy pasta does not have any meat in it. It’s amazing as is, but feel free to add cooked chicken or shrimp for some added protein. This copycat Cheesecake Factory Crusted Chicken Romano would be perfect!
One of the things I love about this dish is how little chopping it requires. Just a few cloves of garlic and basil- everything else can be added without additional work. This makes for a quick and easy dinner that you can get on the table in 30 minutes or less.
Ingredients
- Short Pasta: Such as penne, which is what the restaurant uses.
- Cheeses: Just like the name implies, this recipe uses four cheeses. There is mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese and romano cheese.
- Egg: This may seem a little out of place, but it adds richness to the sauce which mirrors lasagna filling which also uses egg.
- Milk: Just a dash, thus helps to thin out the ricotta mixture that goes on top of the finished dish.
- Garlic: I always suggest fresh garlic for best flavor.
- Olive Oil: Used to saute the garlic.
- Marinara Sauce: I used my homemade tomato sauce, but any quality jarred sauce will work here.
- Basil: For flavor and color. I like to reserve a little bit for garnish as well.
How to Make
Step 1. Begin by preparing the penne according to the packaging directions. Before you drain the pasta, reserve ½ cup of pasta water.
To a large deep skillet or dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Step 2. To the same pan, add marinara sauce and stir.
Step 3. While that is heating up, it’s time to work on the cheese mixtures. You will need two separate bowls. To one bowl add mozzarella, parmesan, romano, and ½ cup of ricotta, along with egg, freshly cracked black pepper, and salt.
Step 4. Stir well to combine.
Step 5. To a seperate bowl adding remaining ricotta and 1 tbsp. of milk. Whisk to combine and set to the side.
Step 6. Add four cheese mixture to marinara sauce and gently stir to incorporate. It will take a few minutes for everything to melt and come together.
Step 7. Add reserved ½ cup of pasta water and stir until fully incorporated. Simmer for 5 minutes to thicken up. Add basil and stir.
Step 8. Finally add in pasta and combine. When serving, top each plate with a bit of the ricotta milk mixture and a little extra basil and enjoy.
More Cheesecake Factory Copycat recipes
Recipes Tips
- Be sure to save pasta water before draining! This is an important part of the sauce. The starchy pasta water acts as both a thickener as well as helps the velvety sauce to stick to the pasta.
If you try this Cheesecake Factory Four Cheese Pasta please leave a star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love to hear from you.
Cheesecake Factory Four Cheese Pasta
Ingredients
- ½ lb. dry pasta such as penne
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 24 oz. marinara sauce
- ¾ cup ricotta cheese divided
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup romano cheese
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp. milk
- ¼ cup basil chopped
Instructions
- Begin by preparing the penne according to the packaging directions. Before you drain the pasta, reserve ½ cup of pasta water.
- To a large deep skillet or dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- To the same pan, add marinara sauce and stir. Simmer on medium low for 5 minutes.
- While that is heating up, it’s time to work on the cheese mixtures. You will need two separate bowls. To one bowl add mozzarella, parmesan, romano, and ½ cup of ricotta, along with egg, freshly cracked black pepper, and salt.
- To a seperate bowl adding remaining ricotta and 1 tbsp. of milk. Whisk to combine and set to the side.
- Add four cheese mixture to marinara sauce and gently stir to incorporate. It will take a few minutes for everything to melt and come together. Add reserved ½ cup of pasta water and stir until fully incorporated. Simmer for 5 minutes to thicken up. Add basil and stir.
- Finally add in pasta and combine.
- When serving, top each plate with a bit of the ricotta milk mixture and a little extra basil and enjoy.
Leave a Reply