Dream Pasta

So this stuff is pretty much Mac 'n' Cheese dressed up to the nines. Making this bad boy comes in two parts: the pasta and the sauce. But first off, let's talk a little more about the cheese sauce. This Béchamel sauce is one of the five "mother suaces" in French cooking and it is a standard for many cheese based dishes. What makes this a Béchamel is the fact that it's made from a flour-butter mixture called a roux. But enough about that, let's get cooking.

INGREDIENTS
Pasta: (for one serving)
2 oz of your favorite pasta (we used rotini)
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
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Sauce:
2 Tbs butter (can sub vegetable oil)
2 Tbs flour
1 cup shredded cheese
1 cup milk
1 diced, unseeded tomato
1 tsp each of salt, nutmeg, oregano, and pepper

The Pasta:
Heat the water on high power for 3 minutes. Add the salt, vegetable oil and the pasta. Cook another 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes to prevent sticking and to check the firmness of the pasta. Fish out the pasta (or use a colander if your kitchen nook comes equipped with one, sadly ours does not) and set aside.

Whisk pirates unite!

The Béchamel Sauce:
 Melt the butter for 30 seconds (skip if you're using veg. oil) then whisk in the flour. Nuke for 30 seconds and mix in the milk. Heat for 90 seconds and stir. Alternate between heat and stirring until the sauce becomes lightly thick. Add the shredded cheese mix in to the sauce, and heat for another 30 seconds.

At this point add the nutmeg, oregano, and season to your liking. Add the pasta and tomatoes, heat for another 20 seconds and you have your dream pasta ready to eat!

***Note*** Make sure you are careful taking the dish out of the microwave because it may be very hot!

3 out of 3 chemists agree that it was delicious. One chef would like to add, that the sauce was a little grainy, due to the cheapness of the mozzarella used. Lesson learned: don't be stingy with your cheese.

This is a ridiculously easy recipe and it can be modified in so many ways! Different cheeses will add different flavors and textures while different vegetables like squashes or peppers will add a different kind of pop! Also meat, any kind will do, especially bacon would be a good addition. Next time we make this we are going to use chopped spinache, with a light cheese which we think will taste just as delicious.

If you try this recipe out let us know how you made it! We would love to try your methods!

Until next time, don't forget:

No kitchen, no problem!

-K & M