Twisted Mac and Cheese

A good friend of mine once challenged me to a Macaroni and Cheese-off. We then proceeded to try her amazing recipe; however, I never managed to make mine. Nicole, consider this my entry!

I learned to make Macaroni and Cheese from my mother. As one of the simplest recipes, I could make it unassisted fairly reliably ... and without burning myself. This early recipe was almost overpoweringly cheesy. Calling for pats of butter and slices of Kraft American Cheese, it was the classic homemade American macaroni recipe. I loved it. Kraft-in-a-box had nothing on this stuff.

I can remember my mother trying to make additions to the "tried-and-true," and I hated it. If she used anything but American cheese, I found it unpalatable. American gave such a smooth texture to the sauce, how could I ever eat a substitute?

Luckily, as I grew up my tastes evolved. Today my macaroni and cheese recipe has a couple of twists, as well as a spicy bite. It also rarely uses macaroni (a pasta style we don't often have on hand). I have my mother to thank for the process of this recipe, though the ingredients vary fairly far from the "American Original" of my childhood.

As Autumn comes on stronger and stronger, try this mac and cheese to warm you up!

Twisted Mac and Cheese
(serves 2-3)

What You'll Need:
A medium saucepan
A cheese grater

Ingredients:
1/2 lb whole wheat Rotini pasta (any style pasta with notches/holes to collect sauce will work)
1/2 cup roughly grated Colby/Jack cheese
1/2 cup roughly grated Habanero (or other spicy peppered) Cheddar
1/4 cup roughly grated White Cheddar
1 1/2 cup skim milk (may use other fat % as desired)
1 teaspoon whole wheat flour
2-3 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3-4 fresh basil leaves (or a teaspoon dried basil)
Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Instructions:
Boil pasta in well salted water until nearly al dente. Refrain from "finishing" the pasta. If left slightly uncooked, it will "finish" cooking while you are making the cheese sauce. This will save you from lifeless noodles that fall apart.

Drain water from pasta. If you removed the pasta to drain the water, place pasta back in the saucepan. Over a medium heat, toss rotini with 2-3 tablespoons of Olive Oil (enough to coat all pieces of pasta). Add in milk. Heat milk until it begins to bubble, stirring occasionally to prevent scalding.

Into milk, slowly stir in grated cheeses. Stir constantly to avoid excessive burning or sticking. Add in flour, and stir well to combine. Stir in basil, red and black pepper, as desired. Continue stirring until cheese is well combined with milk.

To ensure the proper consistency of sauce, add grated cheeses slowly. Creamier sauces will use less cheese, while a thicker sauce will take more.

Serve and enjoy!

Penne Arrabbiata with Mushrooms and Chicken

Italian food is my specialty. There is just something comfortable for me about boiling pasta and mixing together a sauce. It's easy, and it's delicious. Plus, I get to make things as spicy or garlicy as I want without altering the original recipe, which is particularly nice.
This arrabbiata sauce is one that adapts very well to being spicy and filled with garlic. Plus, it's so simple it can be thrown together in no time at all and can use just about anything you might already have in your fridge, which makes it great for those evenings where every minute seems to be scheduled for something other than dinner. Of course, it's a little slower than just microwaving a pizza, but if that's what you wanted ... why are you here?

Penne Arrabbiata with Mushrooms and Chicken
Serves 3

What you'll need:
a pot for steaming vegetables
a large saucepan (large enough to toss pasta and additions with the sauce)

Ingredients:
For Sauce --
Olive Oil
1-2 tsp chili powder (we used hot)
2-4 dried red chilies (number will dictate spicy factor of your sauce), finely chopped (may use red pepper flakes)
4-5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/4 c finely chopped sweet onion
4-5 fresh basil leaves or 1-2 tsp dried basil
4 Roma tomatoes, finely diced
Salt/Pepper to taste
For Additions (may be substituted at will) ---
1/2 package (1 lb box) penne
2-3 cups chopped broccoli
2 Portobello mushroom caps, diced and cooked
3 small breasts chicken, cooked and diced

Instructions:
In a large saucepan, drizzle about 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. Add chili powder and red chilies, and cook on medium heat until olive oil turns brown (only a minute or so). Add in garlic, basil and onions. Make sure not to burn, and cook until onions are softened. Stir to coat garlic/onions with the infused olive oil.
Once the onions are soft, add in the tomatoes and cover. Simmer gently until tomatoes are easily broken up with a spoon (about 15-20 min).
While your tomatoes are cooking, cook your pasta and steam your broccoli (or just toss your broccoli in for the last minute your pasta is cooking). Also make sure your chicken and mushrooms are cooked and diced. We grilled ours with salt and pepper, but you could bake or sauté your own.
Once the tomatoes are done, use a spoon to break them up into small bits. Toss in the pasta, vegetables and chicken and continue to cook, mixing well. Cook for another minute or so, until flavors are well combined.
Remove from heat and serve, garnish with a little Parmesan.

For a more traditional arrabbiata, serve with pancetta (Italian bacon) instead of chicken. Arrabbiata is supposed to be spicy, so make sure to dial the spice to your individual tastes!
This entrée goes well served after a light spinach salad with a little balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Oooh, I just love Italian!