

Lucky me, right? Add the rigatoni to the pan, tossing it with the sauce and some of the pasta water, until a silky sauce clings to everything. Finally, add the eggplants, a generous sprinkle of Ricotta Salata, and 4 basil leaves. Bake, uncovered, in a 375-degree Fahrenheit oven until bubbling and browned on top 25 to 30 minutes.Working in batches, fry eggplant Add sausage patties and cook until bottom side is light golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.

Leave for 3 to 5 minutes, stir once more, and then serve.Īfter adding the pasta to the cheese sauce, spoon into a large baking dish, scatter breadcrumbs (optional), and more shredded cheese on top. Turn the heat off, and then cover with a lid. If the sauce looks wet/thin, don’t worry, the pasta absorbs some the extra moisture as it cools. When the sauce is smooth and velvety, stir in the cooked pasta. Turn the heat to low then stir in the cheddar and cream cheeses, salt, and black pepper. Continue to cook, constantly whisking until the sauce begins to simmer and thickens. Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter and whisk the butter and flour together and around the pan until they smell toasted and look light brown 2 to 3 minutes. Melt the butter in a large high-sided pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. For more flavor, a bit of parmesan or pecorino cheese is lovely, and for a more adult dish, try blue cheese!īring a large pot of salted water to the boil, add the pasta then follow package directions, but cook 1 minute less than the package calls for. Try easy melting Gruyere, Fontina or Monterey Jack. Use a Variety of Cheeses: Cheddar isn’t the only cheese to use. See our recipe for making roasted garlic. For roasted garlic, you can increase to 6 cloves or more. Add either to the butter just before adding the flour. Garlic Mac and Cheese: Fresh garlic and roasted garlic are excellent in this recipe. We shared this Baked Macaroni and Cheese a while back. Here are some of our favorites:īaked Mac and Cheese: Once the pasta and cheese sauce are combined, add it to a baking dish and bake with a little more cheese and breadcrumbs sprinkled on top. This recipe is easy to adapt to other variations. If it doesn’t pop, add a touch more salt to the pot. Salt and Pepper: Nobody wants an unseasoned cheese sauce! Make sure that you taste the sauce before serving.It adds a lovely silky texture, and since it has a little zinginess, it brightens up the flavor a bit. Cream cheese: The mac and cheese would be excellent with just cheddar cheese added, but to make it ultra creamy, we’ll stir in some cream cheese.I know it’s extra prep time, but hand-grated cheese melts so much easier into the sauce. Whatever cheese you use, it’s best to grate it yourself. For more cheese suggestions see our notes below. Cheddar cheese: Whenever we make macaroni and cheese, we reach for sharp white cheddar cheese.That said, salted butter will work if that is all that you have. We like to use unsalted butter for this and then adjust salt to taste when making the sauce. Butter and Flour: It’s the combination of butter and flour that thicken the sauce.Elbow macaroni and shells are great options. Look for pasta that will hold onto the creamy sauce. Pasta: The shape and size are entirely up to you.
