Pasta w/ Jarlsberg Cheese & White Wine

I am absolutely obsessed with making fondue lately. It's far simpler to make than most people realize. I think that the only reason that it hasn't previously been in such high rotation in my daily routine is because I keep thinking that it's more difficult to make than it actually is! Fondue is one of the simpler cheese dishes that even novice home cooks can muster. Today, I pretty much entirely made fondue just to put it on pasta. Because, despite how intimidating it might seem to make? It's actually quicker and easier to toss together than an alfredo or other cheese sauce. So, I've decided to go for Jarlsberg pasta today.

Although, you can absolutely make Fondue w/ Jarlsberg and dip any variation of bread and fruit in that your heart desires. You can also substitute any pasta of choice as well. I like a large rigatoni because of the way that the cheese fills the inside of the pasta. Although fusilli, shells, spaghetti, or any noodle shape of choice works for you.

Variations of Jarlsberg Pasta

I'm a huge fan of fondue in absolutely everything. I've been half assing my cheese sauce game and just making fondue and adding it to pasta! This might not be the most traditional way of doing it. But it's absolutely delicious. Maybe when I get settled in after moving, I'll do a whole line of homemade Alfredo sauces to balance out my fondue obsession. But, for now, fondue it is! As well as burritos made out of the leftovers in what is essentially a hand-held macaroni and cheese. You could also place this dish in a baking dish and cook for about 40 minutes, if you wanted to actually make macaroni and cheese.

Pasta w/ Jarlsberg Cheese & White Wine

Pasta w/ Jarlsberg Cheese & White Wine

This Jarlsberg Pasta consists of Jarlsberg Swiss cheese, dry white wine, lemon juice, kirsch, ground mustard, and allspice with rigatoni. I had some leftover fondue and my first thought was of course to just drizzle it over pasta! This makes an almost instant macaroni and cheese. If I had the patience, I would probably pop a small baking dish in the oven to brown the cheese a little bit. Although today is a day for leftovers! So, the 8-12 minutes it takes to boil rigatoni is the closest I'm going to come to "cooking" today.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, French
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

  • Large Pot
  • Stovetop
  • Cheese Grater
  • Small Bowl or Large Plastic Bag
  • Saucepan
  • Fondue Pot (optional)

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lbs. rigatoni
  • 1 ½ lbs. jarlsberg grated
  • 1-2 tbsp. corn starch
  • 2 c. dry white wine (I used sauvignon blanc)
  • 1 tbsp. lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp. kirsch
  • 1 tsp. mustard ground
  • 1/4 tsp. allspice ground
  • dash salt
  • dash pepper

Instructions
 

Cook Pasta

  • Add about 4 inches of water to a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
  • Cook pasta according to the manufacturer's instructions. This typically entails boiling for about 8-12 minutes, or until barely al dente.
  • Remove the pasta from the water and set aside.
    You may want to stir it occasionally to keep the noodles from sticking together.

Sauce

  • Grate jarlsberg cheese into a small bowl and toss with cornstarch. Make sure that all of the pieces are lightly coated.
    This will help the cheese from separating when you cook it. If you're having a tedious time getting the cornstarch coated without clumping, add the mixture to a large Ziplock bag and shake.
  • Meanwhile, heat a medium saucepan over medium heat.
  • Add wine and lemon juice to the saucepan and bring to a simmer.
  • Once the wine mixture begins to simmer, slowly stir in the cheese about 1/4 cup at a time. Make sure to stir constantly until fully incorporated.
    The key to a creamy fondue is adding in the cheese gradually. If it’s added too quickly, the mixture will separate!
  • Once all of the cheese is incorporated and the mixture is smooth, stir in the Kirsch and mustard.

Serve

  • Add rigatoni to the sauce and stir until combined.

Tips, Tricks, & Notes

  • This is a great recipe to turn into a macaroni and cheese. I didn't want to wait that long today! So, I didn't bother. But you could easily lightly oil a large baking dish, pour the mixture inside, grate a little bit of extra cheese on top, and then cook at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-40 minutes, or until the top begins to brown. And voila! A little bit more time and you have fondue macaroni and cheese.

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