Mac and Cheese…Bring The Awesome

When you combine the carby goodness of Valentino Pasta with cheesy goodness you get magic. You get comfort. You get…I got it… You get carby cheesy awesomeness. Yes, that’s it. Carby. Cheesy. Awesomeness. You have been warned.

In a dish where the pasta can be an afterthought using an artisan pasta makes more difference than you may think. A good small batch pasta that has been extruded through brass dies and dried slowly will give a great chew and texture, as well as hold more cheese (bonus!). The pasta should be a part of the dish, not just a vehicle for cheese. That beats the blue box every time. Also the cheese can be a mixture of what you like.  There are some ideas of cheese mixtures and garnishes at the end of the recipe.

This recipe is super simple. We used lumache here, but ziti rigate would also be great, and fusilli gigante would be really great! Some was served plain, and some we garnished with bacon and mini whole wheat croutons. Enjoy!

Stove Top Mac and Cheese

1 lb Valentino Pasta- fusilli gigante, ziti, or lumache

12 oz  sharp cheddar cheese or a combo below

1 ¼ C half and half

3 Tbs butter

1tsp Valentino Pasta garlic salt

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Splash of white wine (optional)

1. Drop your pasta in boiling salted water and cook til one minute short of al dente. Drain and return to pot.
2. Over low heat add all the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Cook at just at or below a simmer for 2-3 min. Cut the heat. If the sauce is too loose it will thicken after standing for a minute or so,
3. Serve straight up or with a garnish below.

Cheese Combo Ideas

8 oz cheddar, 4 oz Fontina or Monterrey jack

6 oz pepper jack, 6 oz mild cheddar

6 oz Fontina, 4 oz sharp provolone, 2 oz parm

Garnish Ideas

Bacon bits and mini croutons

Toasted panko breadcrumbs

Crispy prosciutto