Tuesday, January 17, 2023

The Cheesecake Factory 4 Cheese Pasta Dupe

We just got back from a soccer tournament in Las Vegas. I feel like we ate 24/7 - we always chose somewhere easy to get into. So our last dinner there was at the Cheesecake Factory.

Our 10 year old ordered this dish and she FELL IN LOVE. She took her leftovers back to the hotel and her sister (who chose to go bowling w her teammates instead of go with us) came back starved and asked to eat those leftovers - our 10 year old wouldn't share no matter what. I ended up promising her that I would find a dupe and make it for dinner later that week. It was a deal - so here is the recipe I followed! The only real difference in the one I made from all the other recipes out there is that I didn't add eggs - we have a child allergic so I just omitted them.

Doesn't look real pretty - but she was OVER THE MOON!





Cheesecake Factory 4 Cheese Pasta Dupe
8 oz Penne pasta
24 oz Marinara Sauce
1 c Ricotta
2 ¼ c Mozarella, grated
¼ c chopped fresh basil
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp pepper, freshly ground
4 Fresh mozzarella balls, cut into quarters
¾ c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper to taste

Garnish
2 T ricotta cheese
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh basil, chopped

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 11x8-inch (3.5 Quart)baking dish.
In a large pot of boiling, lightly salted water, cook Penne pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain.
Meanwhile, while pasta is cooking, heat marinara sauce in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat.
In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella, fresh basil, garlic powder and pepper. Stir until well combined.
Add hot pasta and the heated marina sauce to the ricotta mixture. Stir until pasta is thoroughly coated with the creamy sauce.
Transfer pasta mixture to greased 11x8-inch (3.5 Quart) baking dish. Place quartered mozzarella balls evenly over top of pasta. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake, covered in 350°F oven for 25 minutes.
Remove foil and place under broiler for 3 to 5 minutes until cheese is bubbly.

Garnish: In a small bowl, combine 3 Tablespoons ricotta cheese and 2 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Divide evenly among four individual servings and top with freshly chopped basil.

No comments:

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails