This recipe comes from a friend of mine who lived in Italy for seven years. It's a fan-favourite around our house!
I asked her what her son’s favorite meal was, and she said pasta, of course, but it was not the typical tomato sauce and/or spaghetti and meatball type I expected—it was what we call here in Canada a good old Mac n’ Cheese, but this one has an Italian twist!
It's so easy you won’t believe it, and it is made with whatever cheese and pasta you have left over in the house.
Here it is:
Use any shape of pasta you have in the pantry—spaghetti, macaroni, linguini, shells, etc.
Use all of the leftover cheese you have in the fridge—cheddar, parmesan, goat cheese, brie, etc.
Cook the pasta in a big pot according to the time directions on the package. Make sure to keep one little glass of the hot cooking water.
Grate all the leftover cheese in a big bowl, add a little chunk of butter and some milk (about 2 tablespoons) and add some of the hot water you removed from the cooking pasta. Mix well. The hot water will melt the cheese and you will get a nice sauce out of it.
To make it even richer and better, add one egg yolk, some lemon zest, and any minced fresh herb you have handy—basil, sage, thyme. You can add ham or any other meat if you'd like too!
When the pasta is ready, drain the water and mix it into the cheese mixture, making sure the pasta is completely coated with your fabulous improvised cheese sauce.
Bon Appétit!
Printer-friendly version