I made Ina Garten's 5-cheese penne pasta and it was the comfort dish of my dreams

When I lived like the "Barefoot Contessa" star for a day earlier this year, I whipped up her broccoli and bow ties recipe. But I was an even bigger fan of Garten's summer garden pasta, which I made just a few weeks ago.

Both of these dishes rely solely on olive oil, veggies, and herbs for their flavor. Garten's five-cheese penne was clearly going to be a very different experience, and I was excited to see how the red-sauce pasta would compare to her lighter fare.

To whip up her five-cheese penne, you'll need:

• 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
• 1/2 cup shredded Italian fontina
• 1/4 cup crumbled Italian Gorgonzola
• 1/4 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced
• 2 tablespoons ricotta cheese

To be honest, the most time-consuming part of Garten's recipe was just trying to find these cheeses at my local Ralph's. I no doubt confused at least a few fellow shoppers as I frantically circled the small cheese section about 100 times in search of ricotta (which, I later discovered, was in a completely different aisle).

I should also admit that I got Romano cheese instead of Pecorino Romano, which I couldn't find in the supermarket's little fromagerie no matter how hard I tried. I did a quick Google search — "is pecorino the same as romano?" — and was convinced that they were basically the same. I later learned that the Romano I had purchased was made with cow's milk, while Pecorino Romano is always made with sheep's milk.

But alas, they're both still in the same family and known for their sharp flavors, so I think the cheese gods will forgive me on this one.

On top of all that cheese, you'll need:

• 1 pound "imported" penne rigate pasta
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes in thick tomato puree
• 6 fresh basil leaves, chopped

This is the only part of Garten's recipe that actually requires a little work. I hadn't bought pre-shredded fontina or pre-crumbled Gorgonzola, so I decided to just grate them as well. And let me tell you, it was definitely an arm workout. Next time, I may just finely chop the fontina instead, as its creamy texture made it a tad trickier to work with the grater.

You could, of course, always just eyeball how much cheese you want to add to this dish. But I have a tendency to mess up recipes and, since I was subjecting two other people to my cooking that night, I decided to play it safe. No shame in learning!

From the creamy ricotta to the sharp Romano, I was excited to see just how all these different flavors and textures would end up blending together.

Garten's recipe calls for two cups of heavy cream and one cup of crushed tomatoes in a tomato puree.

You'll need six basil leaves for Garten's recipe.

Garten actually recommends getting your pasta going before you begin. Since I'm a novice chef, and usually take a lot longer when I'm learning a recipe, I decided to get my prep out of the way first so I wouldn't get stressed about the penne.

And, per Garten's recipe, you're not actually supposed to fully cook the pasta. You just need to parboil the penne for four minutes in a pot of salted water.

After I dumped my pound of pasta into the pot, I set a timer and went back to my bowl of cheese.

Who knew Garten's pasta would be so on trend? The color was actually quite pretty, and not at all what I had expected.

The recipe simply says to combine the ingredients and "mix well." I did wonder just how long I was supposed to mix them for, and if I was supposed to break up the mozzarella slices. But Garten's instructions were simple, so I tried not to overthink the process.

Garten recommends dividing your pasta into "shallow ceramic gratin dishes." I don't even own a proper stove pot, much less pretty cookware! But I realized that this dish could easily turn into a one-pot recipe, and who doesn't love dealing with less dishes?

I then tossed the penne with the mixture, making sure all the noodles were submerged in the pretty pink pool of cheese.

As much as I love Garten, I have to admit that I did go against her recipe on this last step. The "Barefoot Contessa" star recommends using half a stick (four tablespoons) of unsalted butter to dot your penne pasta with, which, to be honest, sounded very overwhelming.

My friend Molly, who is far more experienced in the kitchen than I am, confirmed that ½ stick of butter would be too much — especially paired with all that cheese. So I decided to take the recipe down to just one tablespoon, using a knife to shave off little knobs of butter that I sprinkled right on top of the pot.

Garten's recipe recommends cooking the pasta until it's "bubbly and brown" on top, which she estimates will take around seven to 10 minutes.

As I waited for the pasta to cook, the delicious smell of cheese completely filled the kitchen. And, as the minutes ticked by, I could hear the penne start to bubble.

Of course, every oven is different. Overall, it took my pasta about 17 minutes total to bake. I waited until I could see that the penne in the center of my pan was turning brown before I took it out, ensuring it had cooked through.

The millennial pink turned into a beautiful, almost golden, color, and there appeared to be an even crust on the top of the pasta.

The chunks of mozzarella that had floated to the top made the dish look even more inviting. I already felt soothed, and hadn't even taken my first bite.

As much as I love very saucy pastas, I did wonder if five different cheeses — plus plenty of butter and cream — would be too much. I worried that the dish might taste more like cheese with a side of pasta, rather than the other way around. But my fears were unfounded. Garten's penne manages to be rich and soothing, without feeling too heavy on the stomach.

"All that cheese," my friend Molly happily exclaimed as she took her first few bites. "It tastes like a warm blanket."

"But the cheese isn't overwhelming," added my roommate Joe, who was also on taste-test duty.

Molly recommended sprinkling some red pepper flakes on top to cut the pasta's richness just a bit, which ended up being a great addition. And I loved the contrast between the crusty pieces and the gooey cheeses, which had sunk inside the penne and would burst with every bite.

It's been a tough year for everyone, and the incoming colder weather probably won't make things any easier.

But there are few things more comforting than food, and I'll definitely be wrapping myself up in this cheesy blanket of goodness for months to come.

• Read more:
• I made Ina Garten's easy summer pasta dish and it reminded me of dinners in Italy
• I lived like Ina Garten in lockdown for a day and it was the most fun I've had in quarantine
• I tried Ina Garten's famous cosmopolitan, and now I understand why she makes it at 9 a.m.
• I ate 17 plates of cheese off a conveyor belt and learned you can have too much of a good thing

• This is an opinion column. The thoughts expressed are those of the author(s).