Formaggi sauce is a cheese based sauce, typically served on pasta. As the name implies, formaggi sauce has its origins in Italian cuisine, although other cultures have variants on the sauce as well. In addition to being served on pasta, the food may be used as a garnish on an assortment of other dishes which could benefit from a healthy serving of cream sauce. Many companies make formaggi sauce in jars, as well as fresh, and it can also be made at home.

The distinguishing feature of formaggi sauce is cheese, as formaggio means “cheese” in Italian. A formaggi sauce may be made with one or many cheeses, depending on the taste of the cook and what is available. Once classic form of formaggi sauce is quattro formaggi, made with four cheeses. When a blend of cheeses is used, it is not uncommon to mix hard and soft cheeses, for a variety of textures and flavors in the finished sauce.

Because cheese itself is dense and rich, the sauce tends to be very filling, and it can get very intense. It is typically served over strong pasta shapes, or very flavorful filled pasta such as ravioli and tortellini. Mildly flavored filled pasta will turn bland in the presence of formaggi sauce, since the delicate filling will simply disappear in the cheese.

Some common choices of cheese in a formaggi sauce include Romano, Pecorino, Parmesan, Gouda, Gorgonzola, Emmentaler, Cheddar, Ricotta, Gruyere, Mozarella, and Provolone. Cooks are by no means limited to this list, and they should take advantage of regionally and seasonally available specialty cheeses for a unique formaggi sauce. They may also want to consider how the cheeses in the sauce will pair with the pasta, other dishes on the table, and ingredients which may be added to the formaggi sauce. Some of these cheeses have very strong flavors which are best used in a cheese blend, especially with milder cheeses.

A very basic formaggi sauce is made with cheese melted in cream or a roux and poured over pasta, as is the case with the sauce used to make traditional macaroni and cheese. However, cheese may also be the basis of a more complex sauce, like a tomato sauce. Herbs like basil can also be added for a formaggi sauce, along with some meats. These other ingredients make the cheese flavor somewhat less overwhelming, and may result in a more mild, delicate sauce which is suitable for a wider range of foods.