Tuscan Mac Cheese Delight (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Sauce
01 -
1 pinch red pepper flakes
02 -
0.25 teaspoon smoked paprika
03 -
0.5 teaspoon dried parsley
04 -
0.5 teaspoon mustard powder
05 -
0.5 teaspoon garlic salt
06 -
0.5 teaspoon onion powder
07 -
0.5 teaspoon dried basil
08 -
0.5 teaspoon dried oregano
09 -
1 teaspoon hot sauce (think Frank’s or your fave)
10 -
240 ml heavy cream
11 -
480 ml 1% milk
→ Mac and Cheese
12 -
2 cups (packed) baby spinach, leave whole or rough chop
13 -
25 g Parmesan cheese, shredded
14 -
60 g mozzarella cheese, shredded
15 -
200 g cheddar cheese, shredded
16 -
285 g sundried tomatoes
17 -
1 tablespoon tomato paste (swap for more flour if you like)
18 -
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
19 -
3 cloves garlic, chopped up small
20 -
1 tablespoon oil from those sundried tomatoes
21 -
2 tablespoons salted butter
22 -
450 g medium pasta shells
# Instructions:
01 -
Toss your cooked shells right into that cheesy sauce. Gently mix everything together so the pasta’s covered. You can tweak how saucy you want it.
02 -
Stir spinach into the hot sauce then pop a lid on the pan so it steams just a bit and goes soft.
03 -
Start dropping all the shredded cheeses into the pan a handful at a time. Stir after each one melts in, so it stays super smooth.
04 -
Mix in those chopped sundried tomatoes and let the whole thing start to bubble softly. Dial the heat down low.
05 -
Turn your burner to between medium and low. Pour your milk-cream mix in slowly, a splash here and there, stirring so nothing clumps up.
06 -
Tip tomato paste and flour into your skillet. Keep stirring around for a minute or so until it looks like a thick paste.
07 -
Chuck the butter and reserved tomato oil into a big skillet over medium heat. Once it’s sizzling, toss in garlic for about two minutes ‘til you can smell it.
08 -
Fill a big pot with water and get it boiling. Throw in salt (don’t hold back). Drop in shells, cook ‘em until just barely done following the package, drain, and set aside for now.
09 -
Grate all your cheeses (they’ll melt better this way). Grab a measuring jug and stir together the milk, cream, hot sauce, and all the dried herbs and powders. Save a spoonful of sundried tomato oil, chop up your tomatoes, and measure everything else so it’s ready to go.
# Notes:
01 -
Grab blocks of cheese and shred them yourself—melts way smoother and tastes richer than the pre-shredded kind.
02 -
If your sauce gets thicker as it sits, loosen it up with some of the water you saved from the pasta.
03 -
It keeps in the fridge (airtight) for three days or you can freeze for up to three months, no worries.
04 -
Warm up leftovers slowly in a double boiler, or just add a bit of milk or that pasta water to get it creamy again.
05 -
Try different pasta shapes like fusilli, penne, ziti, cavatappi, or even bow ties—whatever you have in your pantry.