Mac and Cheese Italian Style
Description
Have yourself a heaping bowl of a yummy Italian style mac and cheese. It's so easy to make, it will be your go to recipe on those busy days when you are tempted to buy take out. It's prepared with a wonderful gooey cheese sauce and Italian spices and is r
Ingredients
4 T. unsalted butter
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. 2% milk
1 lb. dry mini penne pasta or small elbow or other favorite pasta
8 oz. Italian blend shredded cheese
1/3 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 T. dried Italian seasoning, like McCormick Tuscan Style Italian Seasoning
Directions
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Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil; cook pasta al dente according to package directions; drain pasta; set aside.
While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat; add flour and Italian seasoning; whisk for about 2 minutes to cook out the flour taste. Add milk; continue to whisk occasionally, allowing mixture to thicken. Add cheeses; whisk until fully combined.
Pour cheese sauce over strained pasta; stir to combine. Sauce will thicken while it sits.
Serve.
It's much better to not use a pre-shredded cheese blend. Use 4 oz. mozzarella and 4 oz. provolone or add a little Romano, Asiago or Fontina into the mix. The essential part is to use at least 4 oz. mozzarella in the blend.
6 servings.
Vegetable options: When there's about 5-6 minutes left on pasta cook time, add 2 c. frozen peas or frozen broccoli, covering the pot to help it come back to a boil more quickly. Remove the cover once it is boiling again. Or, stir in 3 c. fresh baby spinach once the pasta and cheese sauce have been fully combined at the end.
Protein options: After having drained cooked pasta, add it back to the pan; add chopped left over turkey, chicken or rotisserie chicken to the hot pasta; pour the sauce over top. The heat from the pasta and the cheese sauce will warm the meat through. It will be ready to serve when the mac and cheese is ready. Left over ground beef, burgers, rinsed and drained beans like navy, kidney or pinto are also good options.