Quick Stovetop Fondue Cheese Pasta – With Leftover Cheese
If you have leftover cheese and need a quick meal, this delicious fondue cheese pasta is the way to go. With a crunchy nutty topping to make it a little more special, stovetop cheese pasta makes a great mid-week meal for dinner in a hurry.
Recipe Overview
Skill Level:
Skilled Beginner
Prep Time:
15 MINUTES
Cook Time:
20 MINUTES
What Makes This Recipe Great
A quick pasta that requires little effort.
A great way to use up leftovers, saving on food waste.
You can use different types of cheese depending on what you have.
If you have leftover cheese from a party or the festive season, a quick stovetop cheese pasta is a great way to use it all up.
Despite it taking around 30 minutes to make, this cheese pasta recipe tastes special. It’s rich, comfort food that you can serve up as quick meal when you’re in a hurry without it tasting like it’s rushed.
I have given an outline of some of the best cheeses to use in this fondue-style cheese pasta, but you can use up other leftover cheeses too, with each one bringing a slight taste variation to the table.
Check Out More Pasta Recipes:
Smoked Salmon Fusilli – Another special tasting pasta with minimal effort required.
Roasted Garlic Pasta – A creamy comforting pasta with smoky garlic flavours.
Amatriciana Pasta – My version of a classic Roman pasta that is packed with flavour.
Equipment Needed:
- Toaster or Grill: For toasting the slices of bread for the crispy topping.
- Food Processor: To blend the toasted bread, garlic, rosemary, and mixed nuts into a fine mixture.
- Non-stick Frying Pan: For frying the crispy topping mix.
- Large Pan: For boiling the pasta, choose one big enough to comfortably cover the pasta with water without it spilling over the edge.
- Saucepan: To create the cheese sauce.
- Grater: For grating the nutmeg and cheese.
- Colander: For draining the cooked pasta.
Ingredients:
- Stale Bread: Use any bread you want from wholemeal, sliced white bread, sourdough or even leftover baguettes. You can also use fresh bread, but make sure it’s well toasted before blending.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves work best, but you can also use roasted garlic.
- Fresh Rosemary: You can also use dried rosemary, but use a little less as it’s more concentrated in flavour.
- Mixed Nuts: Adds texture and a nutty flavour to the crispy topping. You can use a mix of cashews, peanuts, brazil nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts and almonds. Whatever mix you prefer or have left-over.
- Dried Pasta: Choose any pasta shape you like. Penne, spaghetti, fusilli or rigatoni will all work well.
- Mascarpone Cheese: Makes the sauce extra creamy
- Mature Cheddar, Emmental, Gruyère, Blue Cheese,: We are using a mixture of cheeses often leftover from charcuterie boards and other recipes, but you can mix it up depending on what you have leftover in the fridge.
- Nutmeg: A warm spice that enhances the flavor of the cheese sauce with a touch of aromatic sweetness.
- Cream: We are using a little double cream in this recipe (also known as heavy cream).
Substitutions and Additions:
Wondering if you can substitute or add an ingredient? Here, I will tell you if that’s possible.
- Bread: Use breadcrumbs or panko if you don’t have stale bread.
- Garlic: Garlic powder or garlic granules can be used if you don’t have fresh garlic.
- Mascarpone Cheese: Cream cheese can be used as an alternative, though it may have a tangier taste.
- Nutmeg: Ground cinnamon or a pinch of allspice can substitute if you’re out of nutmeg.
- Cream: Half-and-half or milk can be used, though the sauce might be slightly less rich.
Additions:
- Chili Flakes: Chilli flakes or a pinch of cayenne pepper can be added to the sauce for a little spicy heat.
- Parmesan, Mozzarella, Swiss Cheese, Gorgonzola (dolce) Provolone: Any cheese that melts well will work with this recipe. Be aware that different cheese combinations will produce a different flavour result. If you use strong flavoured cheese, try to balance it out with some milder flavours of cheese so as to not overwhelm the dish.
- Caramelised Onions: Add caramelized onions to the cheese sauce for a touch of sweetness.
- Cooked Chicken: Slice it up and mix it in or grill some chicken and serve on top.
- Bacon or Pancetta: Crispy bacon crumbles or cooked pancetta cubes can be added to the pasta.
Smart Shortcuts:
In a rush and need to take some shortcuts with this recipe? Here’s some ideas:
Fresh Pasta – If you want to have this recipe ready in even less time, use fresh pasta, as it cooks much quicker.
Step-By-Step Guide – How To Make Stovetop Fondue Cheese Pasta
Prep-Ahead Time Saving Tips for Stovetop Cheese Fondue Pasta
Planning ahead makes this recipe even faster! Here are some ways to streamline your prep:
TOTAL TIME SAVED:
15 MINUTES
Prepare The Cheeses (Save 5 Minutes): Grate or crumble up the cheeses and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days ready for use.
Prepare the Toasty Topping (Save 10 Minutes): You can pre-make the crispy topping and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a rolling pin to crush the bread and nuts into small pieces. Just make sure the texture remains coarse for the best crispy result.
If the sauce becomes too thick, you can add a little reserved pasta water or extra cream to loosen it up. Stir gently until you reach your desired consistency.
The crispy topping is done when it turns golden brown and the nuts and breadcrumbs are evenly toasted. Make sure to toss occasionally to avoid burning and create an even crispness.
Mastering This Recipe – Expert Tips
- Use Room Temperature Cheese: For the best melt, allow your cheese to come to room temperature before adding it to the sauce. This helps it melt smoothly without clumping.
- Don’t Overcook the Pasta: Since the pasta will continue cooking in the cheese sauce, make sure you cook it just until al dente. This prevents it from becoming too soft and mushy when mixed with the sauce.
- Low Heat for the Sauce: Keep the heat low when melting the cheese. High heat can cause the cheese to separate or become gritty, so patience is key for a smooth, velvety sauce.
Storage
- Storing Leftovers: Pasta dishes aren’t quite the same when you reheat them. The pasta tends to become a little dry and soggy. So, for best results you can make the cheese sauce and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days ready to combine with freshly cooked pasta when you’re ready to serve.
- Freezing: Unfortunately, this recipe (both the pasta and cheese sauce) will not freeze well. Cooked pasta will change in texture and the sauce will separate when you defrost it. Therefore, I don’t recommend freezing it.
- Reheating The Sauce: Do this carefully and slowly over a very low heat so you don’t cause the sauce to curdle or separate.
Quick Stovetop Fondue Cheese Pasta – Leftover Cheese
Ingredients
For The Crispy Topping
- 3 Slices Stale Bread
- 1 clove Garlic, peeled
- 1 tsp Fresh Rosemary
- 50 g Mixed Nuts
For The Fondue Pasta
- 500 g Dried Pasta
- 80 g Mascarpone cheese
- 80 g Mature Cheddar
- 50 g Emmental cheese
- 50 g Gruyère Cheese
- 50 g Blue Cheese, Dolcelatte or Stilton
- 1 tsp Nutmeg
- 4 tbsp Cream
Instructions
- For the crispy topping, toast the bread slices until crisp, place in a food processor with the garlic clove, rosemary leaves and mixed nuts. Blend until fine and mixed.
- Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, add a drizzle of olive oil, then add the crispy topping mix and fry for about 5 minutes, tossing occasionally to evenly toast. Once golden brown, remove from the heat and set aside.
- Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the packet instructions until al dente.
- In the meantime, grate or crumble the cheeses. Add the mascarpone cheese to a saucepan over a low heat along with the grated cheese and grate the nutmeg into the mix. Stir until melted. Turn off the heat until the pasta is ready.
- Drain the pasta, reserving a cupful of cooking water in case you wish to alter the texture of the sauce.
- Turn the heat back on to low for the sauce, gently stir in the cream.
- Add the drained pasta to the cheese sauce, tossing to coat, add some reserved pasta water if the sauce is too thick.
- Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl or single plates and sprinkle over the crispy topping before serving.
Recipe Notes
- Don’t overcook the pasta – it’ll continue to cook in the sauce. Boil it until al-dente.
- Use room temperature cheese for better melting.
- Stir gently when adding the cream so it doesn’t curdle.
