---
title: "8 Cheeses for Pasta: Melting, Sauces and Toppings"
description: "See how eight cheeses work in pasta, from stretchy mozzarella to creamy ricotta, with tips for sauces, fillings and toppings."
canonical: "https://kitchencuddle.com/cheese-that-melt-nicely-for-pasta/"
author: "Anushree R."
published: "2022-09-24T19:30:20"
updated: "2026-10-30T02:08:57"
---

# 8 Cheeses for Pasta: Melting, Sauces and Toppings

![Pasta with cheese in it](https://kitchencuddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/pasta-with-cheese-in-it-1024x576.jpg)

Cheese can add a melted topping, a creamy filling or a savory garnish to pasta.

However, not all cheese melts well to form a good topping for pasta.

Here are our favorite picks that will add a delicious finishing touch to your favorite pasta.

## Which Cheese Makes the Best Garnish for Pasta?

Whether it’s [mac ‘n’ cheese](https://kitchencuddle.com/does-mac-and-cheese-expire/), lasagna, or Spaghetti Bolognese, the best pasta recipes usually include a cheesy garnish and plenty of cheese in the sauce.

While we may all have our personal favorites when it comes to choosing cheese for these dishes, we often prefer varieties that melt and spread without clumping.

These eight cheeses work in different ways. Mozzarella stretches when melted, while ricotta and feta add texture without melting into the same kind of layer.

### 1\. Parmesan

Parmesan is the traditional favorite for authentic pasta recipes.

It’s a hard Italian cheese with mature and bold flavors that enhance the flavor profile of a dish.

It also has a unique flavor that adds more richness and depth to a dish.

Hence, this cheese is widely preferred as a topping for pasta recipes.

It is also a good ingredient to round off the flavors of pasta sauce.

Parmesan is useful for grating over pasta, but it can clump or separate in a sauce. [Cabot notes that low-moisture cheeses can burn easily](https://cabotcreamery.com/blogs/how-to-guide/how-to-melt-cheese). Grate it finely and add it gently, following the recipe rather than turning up the heat.

Additionally, it’s harder to melt whole Parmesan than grated or shredded Parmesan.

Hence, we suggest grating or shredding the cheese for the top layer or sauce for pasta. This will make it easier to use.

You can also add a dash of Parmesan just before serving to highlight the savory flavors of a pasta dish.

### 2\. Mozzarella

Mozzarella is another familiar choice for baked pasta and other dishes that need a stretchy topping. Compare the cheeses used for [French onion soup](https://kitchencuddle.com/cheese-that-go-on-french-onion-soup/) when choosing a topping for that dish.

This cheese is used as the topping for pasta dishes because it melts beautifully and forms a delicious stringy layer on top of the pasta.

Mozzarella can be made from buffalo milk or cow’s milk. Both can develop a stretchy texture when heated.

Fresh mozzarella is moist and delicate and is often sold in liquid. Low-moisture mozzarella is a different form that is convenient for shredding.

You must use it up quickly because it doesn’t hold up like other cheese.

The stringy nature of mozzarella makes it an attractive choice for pizza toppings.

Fresh mozzarella contains more moisture and can release liquid as it heats. For a less watery topping, use low-moisture mozzarella or drain fresh mozzarella before adding it.

For pasta toppings, it’s best to add grated or shredded mozzarella cheese to achieve the desired stringy consistency.

When mozzarella melts, it doesn’t form a smooth and creamy layer like cheddar.

It will instead develop a unique pull quality.

### 3\. Ricotta

If you are looking for a luscious and creamy cheesy topping for your pasta, ricotta cheese is one of the best options.

It’s one of the finest choices to add unique savory flavors to gourmet Italian pasta recipes.

Ricotta is made by heating whey, sometimes with added milk or cream, so that proteins form soft curds. [BelGioioso’s ricotta](https://www.belgioioso.com/products/ricotta-con-latte/), for example, contains whey and milk.

It’s creamy and smooth, with a slightly grainy texture from the milk solids in the cheese.

Although salty, ricotta cheese has hints of sweetness.

In its natural state, ricotta cheese spreads easily and is very soft.

This cheese has a unique fluffy and airy texture that combines with its salty flavors, making it a very attractive cheese for pasta.

Ricotta does not melt into a stretchy layer. It stays soft and can be stirred into a sauce or used as a filling.

It adds a beautiful texture and delicious flavors to pasta sauce, making it extra-creamy and savory.

You can also use it as a topping for pasta.

Spoon it over the pasta or spread it before baking; it will warm through without melting like mozzarella.

### 4\. Feta

Feta is a good addition to pasta sauce because it becomes soft and creamy when heated.

This cheese originated in Greece, and it is widely used in Greek summer salads.

Greek Feta PDO is made from sheep’s milk or a mixture of sheep’s and goat’s milk.

Cow’s-milk cheeses sold as feta-style products are not the same as Greek Feta PDO.

It has a deliciously crumbly texture and sharp, salty flavors with a hint of tanginess.

Feta doesn’t melt when heated.

However, the texture of the cheese changes, and it becomes soft and amalgamates well with cream or the sauce base.

By doing so, feta adds rich, savory flavors to the sauce and enhances its complexity.

Hence, it’s a great choice for adding more depth of flavor to pasta sauces.

### 5\. Asiago

[![Asiago cheese](https://kitchencuddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/asiago-cheese-1024x576.jpg)](https://kitchencuddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/asiago-cheese.jpg)

Asiago is an Italian cheese from a defined production area in northeastern Italy, not a Swiss cheese.

It resembles Parmesan in certain ways. However, it’s creamier with a more earthy flavor.

Asiago cheese is semi-hard when fresh but loses its moisture content and hardens as it matures.

Fresh Asiago has a mild flavor, while aged versions have a firmer texture and a stronger flavor.

Aged Asiago is matured for months, with longer-aged versions available. It does not have to be several years old to be sold as aged Asiago.

The well-rounded taste of this cheese makes it a good addition to pasta.

You can sprinkle flecks of Asiago over pasta for a savory twist.

It will melt and spread when heated gently, thus infusing the entire dish with its unique flavors.

Another option is to add grated or shredded Asiago cheese to pasta sauce.

You will not need too much of it since a small amount adds immense flavor and savory hints to the sauce.

### 6\. Romano

Romano is a hard and salty Italian cheese that is mostly used for grating.

It’s typically made from cow’s or sheep’s milk.

This cheese is considered a close replacement for Parmesan cheese due to the similarities in texture and flavor.

However, Romano is sharper and saltier than Parmesan.

Due to its bold flavors, a little goes a long way when you use it in pasta topping.

It’s widely preferred for dishes like ragu and Spaghetti Bolognese for its sharp flavors.

Romano is an aged cheese that becomes hard as it matures.

Due to the low moisture content, it grates well.

Romano is useful as a grated topping, but it can clump or separate in a sauce. Grate it finely and add it gently, following the recipe.

You can also add Romano cheese to pasta sauce.

However, use it sparingly to prevent the strong flavors of this cheese from overpowering the rest of the ingredients.

### 7\. Taleggio

If you’re looking to jazz up your pasta with rustic flavors, Taleggio is the right cheese to go for.

Taleggio is a unique soft Italian cheese with well-rounded and distinct flavors that you will seldom find in other varieties.

It’s high in moisture and hence one of the best melting cheeses.

It develops a soft and creamy texture when melted.

It spreads easily when heated and hence is great for topping the pasta.

This cheese is also used in pizzas and grilled sandwiches because of the lovely pulling quality it develops when heated.

Taleggio blends well with other types of cheese to create more complex and beautiful flavors in a dish.

A unique point about Taleggio cheese is that it has a washed rind with a strong and pungent aroma.

The flavors of the rind affect the cheese, but subtly.

Taleggio has a sweet, aromatic flavor that can include a truffle-like finish. Its washed rind does not make it a blue cheese.

### 8\. Provolone

Provolone melts well for pasta, and it’s a good choice as a topping for any cheese-based recipe.

This aged Italian cheese is a curd cheese, similar to mozzarella in texture and flavor.

However, it’s aged longer than mozzarella and has a sharper cheesy taste than mozzarella.

Nevertheless, provolone isn’t as strong as most of the other types of cheese, like Parmesan and Taleggio.

Hence, you can use it liberally in both the topping and sauce for pasta without worrying if it will overwhelm the rest of the flavors.

Provolone is a versatile cooking ingredient that you can use in the topping, sauce, or even as a garnish for pasta.

It melts and spreads beautifully, creating a lush layer.

Hence, it’s a good choice for making a luscious and wonderfully creamy topping for pasta with a rustic, earthy flavor.