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Want more ways to enjoy your favorite gluten-free pasta? Then you need to make a batch of this gluten-free five cheese marinara!
I am so thankful that gluten-free pasta has come as far as it has in the last few years. There is just something about a pasta bowl that is delicious and comforting. Of course, enjoying all the pasta goodness means having fun with how we serve it. This five cheese marinara sauce is the ultimate, rich, creamy, and delicious gluten-free pasta sauce you didn't know you needed.
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Ingredients.
This five cheese marinara sauce is rich, creamy, and cheesy. It might surprise you with how simple the ingredients are.
- Marinara Sauce - Use your favorite gluten-free marinara sauce.
- Ricotta Cheese
- Cream Cheese
- Parmesan Cheese
- Romano Cheese
- Asiago Cheese
- Garlic - You can use either fresh or garlic powder.
- Spices
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Ingredient substitutions.
This five cheese marinara recipe is super simple, but it's also easy to switch it up if you want it extra cheesy.
- I prefer a combination of parmesan, romano, and asiago. If you can find a gluten-free three cheese blend at the store, it's an easy way to get these three without having to buy individual blocks of cheese.
- If you can't find one of those cheeses, you can also use fontina or gruyere.
- If you want your five cheese marinara sauce to be extra cheesy, you can also use mozzarella. I personally find the mozzarella to make the sauce more stringy, and I like it on the creamier side.
- I tend to use dry spices for this recipe, but you also use fresh spices if you have them on hand. Just know that you need about one tablespoon of fresh herbs for every teaspoon of dry spices.
- Add meat. - I love to keep this cheesy marinara without meat in the sauce and add some of my gluten-free meatballs on top. However, it's also delicious with some spicy Italian sausage or some simple ground beef added.
How to make five cheese marinara sauce.
- Melt the cream cheese and ricotta together in a skillet.
- Add your gluten-free marinara sauce.
- Stir in the remaining cheeses.
- Add just the spices to taste.
- Serve warm over your favorite gluten-free pasta.
Tips and tricks.
- Check the ingredient temperatures. - This is more important for the ricotta and cream cheese since they take longer to melt and become creamy. I like to let them sit at room temperature for a while before making this five cheese marinara.
- Fresh garlic - If you use fresh minced garlic, saute it until it becomes fragrant before creaming the ricotta and cream cheese.
- Cook at a lower temperature. - I know the urge to heat your sauce higher, so it melts faster, but don't. Because we are melting different textures of ingredients, you want them to come together slowly. Heating at a higher temperature faster can cause the pasta sauce to stiffen up and separate.
- Changing the thickness of the sauce. - I always reserve starchy pasta water when cooking my gluten-free pasta to add to the final sauce to adjust the thickness. I find it works better with all the cheeses keeping the flavor from being overpowered with something like heavy cream or milk.
Making marinara sauce ahead of time.
This gluten-free marinara is not one that I really suggest making ahead of time. I find that it is best when it is eaten the day it is made for the best results.
If you must make it ahead of time, I suggest warming it up on low heat and adding fresh hot pasta water to bring it back to life before tossing it with your cooked pasta.
I do NOT recommend freezing this five cheese marinara. If you want a good freezer pasta sauce, I suggest making my gluten-free marinara sauce since it freezes better.
Storing leftovers.
I find storing leftovers of this five cheese marinara to work best when it is not stored with the pasta. The pasta and sauce tend to reheat better at different temperatures, and it can cause the sauce to separate from the pasta.
If you store leftovers together, just make sure to reheat it on low, add extra liquid as needed, and gently toss the pasta and sauce until it is warmed through.
More gluten-free pasta recipes.
If you love gluten-free pasta and want more ways to enjoy it, check out a few of my favorite pasta recipes.
📖 Recipe
Gluten-free Five Cheese Marinara
Ingredients
- 1 Box Gluten-free Pasta of Choice
- ½ Cup Ricotta Cheese
- 4 Ounces Cream Cheese
- ⅓ Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
- ⅓ Cup Shredded Romano Cheese
- ⅓ Cup Shredded Asiago Cheese
- 2-3 Cloves Minced Garlic 1-2 Teaspoons of ground garlic.
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Pepper
- ½ Teaspoon Onion Powder
- ¾ Teaspoon Basil
- ½-1 Cup Starchy Pasta Water
Instructions
- Cook and drain your gluten-free pasta. Make sure to reserve 1-2 cups of starchy pasta water.1 Box Gluten-free Pasta of Choice
- In a skillet, saute the minced garlic over medium-low heat, just until it is fragrant if you are using fresh.2-3 Cloves Minced Garlic
- Add the ricotta and cream cheese to the skillet, with the heat still on medium-low. Let the two cheeses melt together until you have a creamy sauce.½ Cup Ricotta Cheese, 4 Ounces Cream Cheese
- Once those cheeses have creamed together, add the remaining cheeses. Slowly stir the sauce until the cheeses start to melt.⅓ Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese, ⅓ Cup Shredded Romano Cheese, ⅓ Cup Shredded Asiago Cheese
- Add the remaining spices.1 Teaspoon Salt, ½ Teaspoon Pepper, ½ Teaspoon Onion Powder, ¾ Teaspoon Basil
- Slowly whisk in the reserved pasta water until your marinara comes to the consistency that you want.½-1 Cup Starchy Pasta Water
- Toss the five cheese marinara with the hot pasta and enjoy.
Notes
- Check the ingredient temperatures. - This is more important for the ricotta and cream cheese since they take longer to melt and become creamy. I like to let them sit at room temperature for a while before making this five cheese marinara.
- Fresh garlic - If you use fresh minced garlic, saute it until it becomes fragrant before creaming the ricotta and cream cheese.
- Cook at a lower temperature. - I know the urge to heat your sauce higher, so it melts faster, but don't. Because we are melting different textures of ingredients, you want them to come together slowly. Heating at a higher temperature faster can cause the pasta sauce to stiffen up and separate.
- Changing the thickness of the sauce. - I always reserve starchy pasta water when cooking my gluten-free pasta to add to the final sauce to adjust the thickness. I find it works better with all the cheeses keeping the flavor from being overpowered with something like heavy cream or milk.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don't forget to tag a photo #grainfreetable or @grainfreetable on Instagram. I'd love to see what you come up with!
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