This is a family favorite. The flavor if wonderful. The picture shows how you can have fun with this recipe; it includes Sweet Italian Sausage and Broccoli Flowerets.
Ingredients:
4 Tbs Butter
¼ C Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 C Milk (2% or whole)
1 lbs Mini Penne Pasta, uncooked
4 oz. Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
2 oz. Provolone Cheese, shredded
2 oz. Romano, Asiago, or Fontina Cheese, shredded
1/3 C Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Tbs Dried Italian Seasoning
Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, cook pasta according to package directions, to al dente. Scoop the pasta from the pot once it is cooked. Work on the next step while your pasta is cooking; so you can add the pasta to the sauce once it is cooked to al dente.
Meanwhile, in a medium sauce pan over medium heat melt butter, add flour and Italian seasoning and whisk for about 2 minutes to cook out the ‘flour-y’ taste. Add milk and continue to whisk occasionally, allowing the mixture to thicken. Add cheeses and whisk until fully combined. If the sauce is too thick, add pasta water one tablespoon at a time until it is the right consistency. Remember that this type of sauce will thicken as it sits.
Recipe Notes:
The first key to cooking good pasta is to NEVER dump the pasta to drain through a strainer; scoop it out and set the pasta water aside in case it is needed. I use a basket scoop made for a Wok to scoop out my large pastas. Secondly, never rinse your pasta; your sauce will not stick to rinsed pasta and you will ruin the flavor.
You may use pre-shredded cheese from your local store. You can buy them individually or as an Italian Blend. You will have the best results using freshly grated cheeses. Make sure that you use at least 4 oz. of Mozzarella.
You can add meat to this. Our favorites are sliced and cooked Italian Sausage or Linguiça Sausage. Any left-overs will work – everything from chicken to pork to steak. Get inventive with what you have on hand.
Don’t hesitate to use frozen vegetables; such as peas, peas & carrots or broccoli. You can also add in fresh greens; such as Baby Spinach, torn Kale Leaves or Dandelion Greens. Again be resourceful, use what you have on hand or some other vegetable that is a family favorite
This nice thing about recipes like this is that you can combine meats and vegetables together to make a full meal in one dish. Enjoy your kitchen adventure
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