I am back after a long hiatus during which time I learned how to spell "hiatus"! I am trying to keep myself busy and have decided to start cooking school. I plan to keep y'all up to date with the yummy things I am burning at school, so sit down, shut up, and pay attention!
I won't start school until late January, so I will fill the time with all the holiday goodies I can wrap my gut around. To start off, I would like to introduce you to my Christmas Mac & Cheese. (Disclaimer: If you don't celebrate Christmas just call it Michelle's Totally Awesome Mac & Cheese. I won't mind the name change.) I recently had a box of Kraft Mac & Cheese and was so grossed out that I decided to make my own. I find that I am spoiling my palate by learning to cook, but life just seems so much more fulfilling with good food in my belly.
The Christmas part comes from the red and green vegetables and the appetizer nature of the dish. I designed this recipe for two appetizers since I live in a small household, but you could easily double it for the first course of a family dinner or make a whole casserole dish full of it for a large party. I wouldn't recommend making this the main dish because it is very rich.
Are you ready, young Jedi? OK, let the kitchen force guide you...
Ingredients
1/2 lb farfalle pasta (any small pasta could be used here, such as the traditional elbow macaroni)
2 tbsp salted butter
1 tbsp minced garlic (I used store bought minced garlic with peppers which will be less potent than fresh garlic, so you may want to use more or less, depending on your garlic preference)
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup cream (Use milk if you want less fat, but I mean, really,at this point does it matter?)
1/4 cup of each cheese: Mozzarella, Gruyère, Swiss, Blue (I prefer Gorgonzola to Blue)
A handful of your favorite cheese and/or panko bread crumbs for topping
1 tsp cumin
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 to 1 cup of frozen chopped spinach (Don't like spinach? Try fresh basil, braised kale, steamed broccoli, sauted green beans...the options are endless! Basil and Spinach tend to cook quickly, so add them last. The other vegetables take longer, so add them with the pepper.)
red pepper flakes and/or pepper to taste (This recipe shouldn't need extra salt because of the butter and cheese, but taste as you go and add as you need.)
How to make your guests go "yum!"
Prepare the pasta according to the directions on the package and set aside. Melt the butter in a sauce pan. Add the garlic and sauté for a couple minutes. Add the wine and bell pepper and simmer for about 4 minutes. Add the cream, and Gruyère, Swiss, and Blue cheeses. Also add the cumin and any other spices you like, like the red pepper flakes. Simmer and stir constantly for about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and stir until the spinach is completely incorporated. Make sure you taste it before you plate it! Turn on the broiler in your oven. Divide your pasta between 2 16 oz ramekins or other similar sized oven safe dish. Don't mash the pasta down. If you have extra pasta, that's OK (extra pasta + melted butter + Parmesan cheese = white trash pasta = awesome!). Divide the sauce between the two ramekins of pasta. Don't worry about being pretty or mixing it, just pour it right over the top of the pasta. Sprinkle a handful of your favorite cheese and/or panko bread crumbs on top and put under the broiler for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve immediately. Serves 2.
You really can't screw this up, so be adventurous and make it your own! Happy Holidays everyone!
Cheers,
Cupcake the Nerd
No comments:
Post a Comment