Make this easy Cheesecake Factory Four Cheese Pasta copycat recipe at your home in 30 minutes and save money. It is saucy and super cheesy and tastes as delish as the comforting takeout dish. Also, check out these Copycat Cheesecake Factory Stuffed Mushrooms!
Do you love the popular Cheesecake Factory four cheese pasta?
You can make it at home paying much less. Moreover, It will take less time to prepare it in your kitchen than driving to and ordering at the restaurant.
Ready to enjoy this comfort food?
Why You Will Love this Copycat Cheesecake Factory Four Cheese Pasta Recipe
- Quick and Easy: Make this pasta dish with ingredients you may already have in your pantry and fridge in just 30 minutes.
- Money saver: You will spend less money making it at home than ordering it in that famous restaurant chain. you'll save also on meat!
- Versatile: You can adapt the recipe by replacing the ingredients that you already have at home or according to your dietary needs. For making this 4 cheese pasta Cheesecake Factory copycat low-carb, use a low-carb pasta. For making it gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta. You can also use your favorite store-bought marinara sauce, cutting down the prep time.
- Restaurant quality: It tastes as yummy as the original pasta recipe!
- Meatless: It makes a great vegetarian pasta dish for busy weeknights!
Ingredients and Substitutions
To make this copycat Cheesecake Factory four cheese pasta, you'll need:
For the Marinara Sauce:
If you prefer, use a commercial marinara sauce you enjoy and save some extra time making the sauce at home.
- 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ small yellow onion, small diced (or white onion)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon sugar (or granulated stevia for a sugar-free recipe)
- Table salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ teaspoon basil, dried
- 1 teaspoon oregano, dried
For the 4 Cheese Pasta:
- 12 ounces penne pasta (use a low-carb pasta for a low-carb recipe, or whole grain pasta for a healthy version)
- ⅓ cup + ¼ cup whole milk ricotta, divided (please do not use the reduced fat ricotta as it will make the pasta less creamy)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature (use pasteurized eggs or replace the eggs with 3-4 tablespoon of milk)
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoon grated romano cheese (or Parmigiano-Romano)
- 1 tablespoon whole milk (or half-and-half or heavy cream for creamier sauce)
- 2 tablespoon basil, fresh, finely chopped
How to Make Four Cheese Pasta
- MAKE THE SAUCE: Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, and cook the onion for about 3-4 minutes or until softened, stirring now and then. PIC. 1 Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute or until fragrant, stirring occasionally. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, sugar, salt, pepper, dried basil, and oregano. PIC. 2 Reduce the heat to medium-low, bring the mixture to a simmer, and let it cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- COOK THE PASTA: Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions or until just al dente (about 8-10 minutes). PIC. 3 Drain the pasta but reserve ⅓ cup of the pasta water for later if needed.
- MIX THE CHEESES: In a medium bowl, combine ⅓ cup ricotta, eggs, mozzarella, parmesan, and romano, season with pepper, and stir everything well. PIC. 4
- WHIP THE RICCOTA: In a separate small bowl, whisk the remaining ¼ cup ricotta with the milk until smooth and creamy and set aside to dollop on at the end.
- ASSEMBLE THE FOUR CHEESE PASTA: Once the sauce has thickened slightly, remove the pan from the heat and add the cheese/egg mixture, stirring well just until the cheese is melted. TIP: Do NOT let the eggs cook in the sauce; otherwise you will have scrambled eggs. They will be heated just enough to not make you sick (about 1 minute). PIC. 5
- Then, add the drained pasta to the sauce, stirring until the pasta is fully coated. ONLY if needed (if the pasta sauce is TOO thick), stir in just enough of the reserved water to loosen the sauce a little if you prefer. Divide the four cheese pasta between serving bowls and top with reserved whipped ricotta and fresh basil. PIC. 6
Tips for Making Cheesecake Factory 4 Cheese Pasta
- Make sure to use crushed tomatoes as the Cheesecake Factory sauce has a slightly thicker consistency and is not completely smooth though.
- If you don't add sugar to the sauce, use a sugar-free sweetener to slightly reduce the tomato acidity.
- If you are in a hurry, use a store-bought marinara sauce to reduce the prep time of this copycat pasta recipe.
- The different cheeses give different consistencies to this 4 cheese pasta recipe: the ricotta adds creaminess, the mozzarella adds cheesiness and the parmesan and romano cheeses bring texture to every bite!
- Unlike baked pasta that has a top layer of melted cheese, Cheesecake Factory four cheese pasta seems to have the cheeses incorporated into the sauce because you can't see that melty cheesy top layer. This is why our copycat recipe doesn't go to the oven to be baked as most copycat recipes out there.
- If you are concerned about salmonella in eggs, either use pasteurized eggs in this recipe or replace them with a splash of milk (about 3-4 tbsp) to lighten up the cheese mixture.
- Use any type of pasta that fits your diet such as whole wheat, gluten-free, or low-carb.
What to serve with
The possibilities are endless. Here are a few sides to serve with our homemade version of the Cheesecake Factory four cheese pasta:
- Bread: Toasted sourdough bread, cauliflower bread (low-carb), and also garlic bread rolls.
- Vegetable: Air fryer asparagus, air fryer brussels sprouts, or broccolini in air fryer.
- Salad: White bean salad, shaved Brussels sprouts salad, antipasto salad, or this butternut squash salad.
FAQ's
How do you kill salmonella in eggs without fully cooking them?
You can kill salmonella without cooking eggs by adding acid to the yolks (eg. lemon juice or vinegar). The tomato sauce in this recipe works as an acidic agent raising the temperature above 140° F (60 degrees C), killing the bacteria, but without cooking the eggs. The sauce has been cooked at medium-low heat (or 300° F or 150° C) for a while and you'll be adding the eggs to be heated for 1 minute.
Do I have to add the eggs to the cheese mixture?
No, you don't but the eggs help thicken the sauce and break up the texture of the ricotta. If you prefer to replace them, add 2-3 tablespoon of milk instead of the 2 eggs. It will lighten the cheeses for this four cheese pasta.
How to Store
- IN THE FRIDGE: If you used eggs in this recipe, serve the pasta right away. But if you used milk to replace the eggs, you can store the leftover pasta dish in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- REHEAT the pasta, covered in the microwave, just until hot (about 2 minutes). You may need to add extra sauce or a splash of milk to loosen the pasta sauce. Then, serve topped with the whipped cold ricotta.
- IN THE FREEZER: To freeze, cook the pasta for 1-2 minutes less, let it cool, and freeze it in a separate container for up to 1 month. Place the cool sauce in a separate container as well and freeze for up to 2 months. Only mix the milk or eggs and the 4 kinds of cheese together after reheating the sauce. Do not freeze the cheese mixture!
- DEFROST them overnight in the fridge.
Other savory copycat recipes to try
- Copycat Red Lobster Biscuits (low-carb version)
- Olive Garden Five Cheese Ziti al Forno
- Copycat Panera Autumn Squash Soup
Other vegetarian pasta recipes to enjoy
- Gigi Hadid Pasta
- Mediterranean Pasta
- Pasta Chips
- Homemade Bow Tie Pasta with Tomato and Basil Sauce
- Penne Pomodoro (low-carb)
- Microwave Mac and Cheese
- Fettuccine Aglio e Olio
- Ravioli Soup
PIN & ENJOY!
Cheesecake Factory Four Cheese Pasta (Copycat)
Make this easy Cheesecake Factory Four Cheese Pasta copycat recipe at your home in 30 minutes and save money. It is saucy and super cheesy and tastes as delish as the comforting takeout dish. Also, check out these Copycat Cheesecake Factory Stuffed Mushrooms!
Servings 6 people
Calories405.4 kcal
Cost $ 1.25 per person
Equipment
- 1 large pot
- 1 medium bowl
- 1 small bowl
- 1 stovetop
- 1 large skillet
- 1 whisk
- 1 wooden spoon
Ingredients
For the Marinara Sauce:
- 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ small yellow onion small diced (or white onion)
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon sugar or granulated stevia for a sugar-free recipe
- Table salt to taste Black pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ teaspoon basil dried
- 1 teaspoon oregano dried
For the 4 Cheese Pasta:
- 12 ounces penne pasta use a low-carb pasta for a low-carb recipe, or whole grain pasta for a healthy version
- ⅓ cup + ¼ cup whole milk ricotta divided (please do not use the reduced fat ricotta as it will make the pasta less creamy)
- 2 large eggs at room temperature (use pasteurized eggs or replace the eggs with 3-4 tablespoon of milk)
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoon grated romano cheese or Parmigiano-Romano
- 1 tablespoon whole milk or half-and-half or heavy cream for creamier sauce
- 2 tablespoon basil fresh, finely chopped
Instructions
- MAKE THE SAUCE: Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, and cook the onion for about 3-4 minutes or until softened, stirring now and then. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute or until fragrant, stirring occasionally. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, sugar, salt, pepper, dried basil, and oregano. Reduce the heat to medium-low, bring the mixture to a simmer, and let it cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- COOK THE PASTA: Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions or until just al dente (about 8-10 minutes). Drain the pasta but reserve ⅓ cup of the pasta water for later if needed.
- MIX THE CHEESES: In a medium bowl, combine ⅓ cup ricotta, eggs, mozzarella, parmesan, and romano, season with pepper, and stir everything well.
- WHIP THE RICCOTA: In a separate small bowl, whisk the remaining ¼ cup ricotta with the milk until smooth and creamy and set aside to dollop on at the end.
- ASSEMBLE THE FOUR CHEESE PASTA: Once the sauce has thickened slightly, remove the pan from the heat and add the cheese/egg mixture, stirring well just until the cheese is melted. TIP: Do NOT let the eggs cook in the sauce; otherwise you will have scrambled eggs. They will be heated just enough to not make you sick (about 1 minute).
- Then, add the drained pasta to the sauce, stirring until the pasta is fully coated. ONLY if needed (if the pasta sauce is TOO thick), stir in just enough of the reserved water to loosen the sauce a little if you prefer. Divide pasta between serving bowls and top with reserved whipped ricotta and fresh basil.
Recipe Notes
STORAGE
- IN THE FRIDGE: If you used eggs in this recipe, serve the pasta right away. But if you used milk to replace the eggs, you can store the leftover pasta dish in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- REHEAT the pasta, covered in the microwave, just until hot (about 2 minutes). You may need to add extra sauce or a splash of milk to loosen the pasta sauce. Then, serve topped with the whipped cold ricotta.
- IN THE FREEZER: To freeze, cook the pasta for 1-2 minutes less, let it cool, and freeze it in a separate container for up to 1 month. Place the cool sauce in a separate container as well and freeze for up to 2 months.
- Only mix the milk or eggs and the 4 kinds of cheese together after reheating the sauce. Do not freeze the cheese mixture!
- DEFROST them overnight in the fridge.
Nutrition
Calories: 405.4kcal | Carbohydrates: 57.7g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 12.2g | Saturated Fat: 4.7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4.9g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 75.8mg | Sodium: 426.1mg | Potassium: 677.2mg | Fiber: 5.2g | Sugar: 9.8g | Vitamin A: 651.4IU | Vitamin C: 15.9mg | Calcium: 231.6mg | Iron: 3.4mg
** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.
Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
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