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Here in Omaha, we have a place called Spaghetti Works. This Beer Cheese Pasta Sauce is a copycat of their beloved recipe.
Creamy beer cheese pasta sauce over Cavatappi noodles, topped with bacon crumbles. So rich and comforting.
There is a restaurant here in Omaha, that is one of those classic restaurants, that seems like it’s been here forever. It’s called Spaghetti Works, and it’s always a treat to go to. We actually have two different locations, one in Ralston and one in our historic Old Market downtown, pictured here in this photo by Doug French.
Spaghetti Works also has a location in Des Moines, Iowa. It’s home to the bottomless bowl of pasta. Seriously, you can just keep ordering flavor after flavor, change up what kind of noodles, until you can barely wobble out of there. Aside from the pasta though, my favorite thing is their huge salad bar.
It’s an economical place, and great for family dining. We used to always go there in our early years, with some friends, Todd and Traci. Todd always got their Beer Cheese Sauce.
When I made those Homemade Italian Meatballs, that I shared with you last week, this sauce came to mind. Not only did I think they would be amazing on pasta, but they would make a great appetizer smothered in this beer cheese sauce.
Boy was I right!! They would be perfect to have a crock pot full of Italian meatballs and this beer cheese sauce. Little toothpicks, and you’re set!
Ingredients in Beer Cheese Pasta Sauce:
Half & Half
Beer
Cheez Whiz
Beef Broth
Butter
Flour
Okay — I know, I know. Cheez Whiz — some of you will say gross. But it was in every single recipe I found that claimed to taste like Spaghetti Works Beer Cheese Pasta Sauce. I decided to give it a go, and guess what? It tasted just right!
I used a light beer, because as much as I enjoy an ice cold beer, beer flavored foods are not always my favorite. If you would prefer a more intense beer flavor, use a darker beer. The recipe I mimicked called for whole milk, but I always buy skim, so I went full fat and used half & half. When it comes to cheese — why not?
Everyone suggested serving with crumbled bacon. I never remember that being a “thing” at Spaghetti Works, but I tried it both ways and I definitely preferred it with bacon. I will say that this beer cheese sauce is pretty mellow. There aren’t any spices whatsoever. We also topped with with red pepper flakes to give it some umph.
^Love it? Pin it!^
What would you add? Or maybe you’d like to keep it nice and mellow and cheesy, just like it is?
Like all of my recipes, I hope you enjoy this one!
This Beer Cheese Pasta Sauce is a mellow cheese sauce served over pasta. It's a copycat recipe from Spaghetti Works. Delicious topped with bacon!
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time6 minutesmins
Total Time11 minutesmins
Cuisine: American/Italian
Keyword: Beer Cheese, Copycat, pasta, recipe, Sauce, Spaghetti Works
Servings: 6
Calories: 450kcal
Author: Michaela Kenkel
Ingredients
12ounces1 1/2 cups Half & Half
1 12ouncejar Cheez Whiz
1 12ouncelight beerpour it a little ahead so it's a bit flat
12ounces1 1/2 cups broth
6Tablespoonsbutter
6Tablespoonsflour
1poundpackage pastaprepared
Bacon for toppingif desired
Instructions
In a small pan, melt butter for about 2 minutes. Don't let it brown. Add in flour to form a roux.
In a medium sized sauce pan, over medium heat, heat half & half, Cheez Whiz, beer and beef broth, stirring constantly. When sauce reaches approximately 140 degrees F. add the roux. Continue cooking, stirring constantly until sauce reaches 160 degrees F. Don't let it come to a boil, you don't want it to curdle.
Serve immediately over prepared pasta, topped with bacon if desired.
Notes
Also delicious as an appetizer served with my Italian Meatballs.
Adapted from a recipe found on Youtube/Big Red Recipes
The trick is to move the pasta right out of the hot water into the pot with the sauce, instead of draining away all of the water and letting the pasta sit around while you work on the sauce. Add the hot, starchy pasta right to the sauce and cook it for about a minute so everything's hot and well combined.
In Italy, one of the oldest pasta-cooking tricks in the book involves parboiling the pasta in water until it's shy of al dente, draining it, and then simmering it directly in the sauce to finish cooking.
A generous sprig or two of fresh herbs like basil, parsley, rosemary, or sage can all amp up the flavor of a jarred pasta sauce. Alternatively, some of those herbs, like parsley, sage, and rosemary, can be great minced up and gently fried into fresh olive oil before adding the sauce to the pot.
Starting with good quality tomatoes and crushing them by hand offers great flavor and texture later on. The combination of butter and oil releases fat-soluble aromatics and gives the sauce a creamy texture. Slowly cooking the sauce in the oven creates rich caramelization without burning.
It may sound a little unusual to add cream cheese to a pasta recipe, but it adds a tangy note and rich creaminess to the sauce. You can also add extra seasonings and other ingredients to the base recipe to fit your personal taste.
Maybe it needs a touch of salt, red pepper flakes, or some fresh garlic to liven it up. You could add dried or fresh herbs too: oregano, basil, thyme, tarragon, parsley—they're all great! Want to go next level? Toss in some chopped anchovies (or anchovy salt), olives, or some lemon zest and/or juice.
Though this is very iconic of Italian-American cuisine, you would never see such a scene in Italy. First, in authentic Italian cuisine, the sauce is always tossed with the pasta before it ever hits the plate. Just before the sauce is done cooking, the hot pasta is added to the saucepan.
The water you cook pasta in should be as salty as the Mediterranean sea – add about 2 teaspoons of fine grain sea salt per litre (33 ounces) of water. That way your pasta has some flavour before you add the sauce – so you need to work less hard to make everything taste amazing.
Once the pasta is in the sauce, add pasta water. This is the most vital step in the process. Starchy pasta water doesn't just help thin the sauce to the right consistency; it also helps it cling to the pasta better and emulsify with the fat and cheese you're going to be adding.
Italians aren't uptight about table manners, but there's one thing they – and in particular, Chef Roberta – can't abide: using a knife to cut up strand pasta shapes. Just as you should never snap your spaghetti before cooking it, neither should you cut up the strands once they reach your plate.
Yes, that's right. Toss in a few tablespoons of butter, and let it melt into the sauce. If you've never tried it before, it might seem strange, but a little butter makes tomato sauce rich and smooth, and also balances out too much acidity, which is common in jarred sauces.
Do Italians use cream in their pasta sauces? If not, why not? Well, the canonical answer would be: "No, we do not use cream in our dishes. Cream covers the flavors and makes the dishes heavy.
Pungent fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, sage, tarragon, and marjoram can liven up tomato sauce with their bold, distinctive flavors. Add 1 to 2 sprigs of one or more of them to your favorite sauce, cover, and simmer at least 5 minutes to allow them to infuse in the sauce. Remove the sprigs before serving.
Instead of pouring the cooked pasta and water into a colander placed in the sink, Shannon places the colander on top of the cooked pasta and water in the pot and tips them both over together so the water drains off, leaving the cooked pasta in the pot.
Citric acid, bottled lemon juice, or vinegar added in the correct amounts will ensure that whether tomatoes are boiling water bath canned or pressure canned, the C.botulinum spores will not germinate when a current recipe is used and the jars are processed properly.
Introduction: My name is Frankie Dare, I am a funny, beautiful, proud, fair, pleasant, cheerful, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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