This isn’t your standard pasta and cheese combination. This is not for the faint hearted. It’s indulgent, it’s flavourful and very filling. Everyone has their own take on the classic mac ‘n’ cheese and this is my spin. Amongst the food connoisseur population out there, this is not mac ‘n’ cheese due to the lack of mac, the nature of the cheese sauce and the fact I put some other ingredients in which apparently is ‘sacrilegious’. So we shall just call it ‘not macaroni cheese’ instead. If someone else has a more catchy name for it, I am open to suggestions!
This recipe has been a working progress for a few years. With countless cheese and pasta combinations to experiment with, I believe I have found the perfect balance of flavour and texture. This recipe is best served with a slice of garlic bread.
Skill level: Easy peasy
Ingredients
100g mature Cheddar cheese
100g manchego cheese
100g gruyère cheese
100g smoked processed cheese
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp butter
300g spirali pasta
1 vegetable stock cube
100g diced chorizo
2 spring onions sliced
4 tsp Cayenne pepper
2 tsp paprika
410g tin of evaporated milk
- Place your pasta and stock cube in a large saucepan full of water and cook on the stove top until the pasta is cooked al dente. Drain your pasta and set it aside.
- Place your butter & flour in a separate saucepan and whisk to create a roux. Once combined, pour in the evaporated milk & bring to a simmer. Whilst this is is rising in temperature, either finely chop or grate your cheeses.
- Place your grated cheese into the hot milk mixture, add the cayenne pepper & paprika and stir occasionally to make sure the cheese doesn’t burn at the bottom of the pan. Once the cheese is fully melted an incorporated, add in the chorizo & spring onion.
- Combine your pasta and cheese sauce on a medium heat, ensuring that they are well combined.
- Your cheesy pasta goodness can be eaten just now (if you are impatient like me) or it can be placed in a greased ovenproof dish and baked at 180ºc for 15-20 minutes.
AJ’s Rambling 