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chicken with cheese sauce
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5 from 1 vote

Four Cheese Sauce

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Aleksandra

Ingredients

for the pasta:

  • 1 lb (450g) chicken breast
  • 2 tablespoons flour optional
  • 2 tablespoons frying oil
  • ½ head broccoli
  • 8 ½ oz (240g) fusilli (spirals) pasta about 3 cups uncooked pasta

for the four cheese sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ cup gorgonzola cheese 3.5oz/100g, I used gorgonzola dolce
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese 1½oz/45g, grated on the small holes of a box grater
  • 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese 3.5oz/100g, grated on the large holes of a box grater
  • ½ cup cream cheese 3.5oz/100g
  • ¾ cup milk 120ml
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • salt and pepper to taste

to garnish (optional):

  • toasted flaked almonds
  • chopped parsley
  • grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • Prepare all the ingredients: divide the broccoli into florets, cut the chicken breast into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes, chop the garlic very finely, grate the mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
  • Cook the pasta and broccoli: Cook the pasta al dente (it should have a bite to it) and steam (or cook) the broccoli. I like to cook the pasta in a pot and steam the broccoli in a sieve above the pot (see the photos in the post). So there's a pot with pasta, a sieve with broccoli florets hung above the pot, and all of that is covered with a lid. Fusilli pasta, that I have used, needs to be cooked for 10 minutes and the broccoli needs to be steamed for 8 minutes. While the pasta is cooking, cook the chicken and prepare the sauce.
  • Cook the chicken: Season the chicken with salt and pepper and toss with flour. Heat the oil over high heat in a big frying pan. Once hot, add the chicken pieces in an even layer. Don't stir for the first 2 minutes (to let the chicken brown), then cook, stirring until the chicken is cooked through (no longer pink inside). Transfer the chicken to a plate.
  • Make the cheese sauce: Add the butter to the pan, when it's sizzling add finely chopped garlic, dry basil, and onion powder and cook, stirring, over medium heat for a minute.
  • Add all 4 kinds of cheese and milk to the pan and cook until the cheeses are melted and the sauce has thickened (if it's too runny, just cook it a little longer, stirring from time to time). Season the sauce with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
  • Assemble: Add the chicken back to the pan, add the cooked pasta and steamed broccoli. Stir everything together. Season a little more with salt, pepper and lemon juice, if necessary.
  • You can garnish the dish with grated parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, and toasted flaked almonds, if you wish.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

  • If not using flour, add just 1/2 cup of milk.
  • Cheese - you can use other cheese varieties, just make sure to add both creamy and strongly tasting kinds of cheeses. Other types of cheese that would work: pecorino, fontina, gruyere, provolone, taleggio, or blue cheese. 
  • You can omit the chicken completely to make it vegetarian.
  • What you could also add - instead of broccoli, kale, sauteed zucchini, or spinach would also work great.
  • You can completely omit the chicken and broccoli and serve this cheesy sauce pasta as a side dish with steak or pan-fried chicken breast or fish.
  • Instead of pasta, you can serve the cheese sauce with potato gnocchi.
  • Calories count = 1 serving (1/4 of the recipe, this is only an estimate!).

Nutrition

Calories: 728kcal