Who doesn’t love a plate of cheesy pasta? The pasta you eat at a local Italian restaurant is made with love and care. If you want to recreate the same recipe at home, you need to learn the secret of the delicious sauce. What makes the sauce so gooey and cheesy? Well! Cheese, of course! Continue reading to learn easy tips to make a delicious bowl of pasta at home.
The Ingredients:
- Pasta of your choice (Common choices are Tortellini, Spaghetti, Macaroni, fusilli, and Fettuccine)
- Butter
- Milk
- Cheese of your choice (Feta, Ricotta, Parmesan, Mozzarella, and Cheddar are standard for pasta)
- Black Pepper
- Nutmeg Powder
- Salt
- Dried Basil
- Oregano
- Dried Thyme
- Broccoli or any veggies of your choice.
Boil The Pasta: First, put a pan on the stove and pour some water. When the water comes to a boil, add the pasta of your choice. Let the pasta boil for around 20 minutes. Turn off the gas and drain the excess water. Wash the boiled pasta with cold water so that the pasta does not become sticky. Washing will cold water will also stop the pasta from getting soggy.
- Make sure the pasta is boiled well. You would rather not eat raw pasta. Then again, do not overcook the pasta, as it overcooking will turn the pasta into a soggy mess.
- While the pasta is being cooked, you may cut the broccoli into small pieces and sauté the same in little oil. Keep the veggies aside to cool down.
The White Sauce or The Roux: It is time to make the Roux (also commonly known as the pasta sauce). First, add a generous amount of butter to the pan. Once the butter is melted, add three tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Stir the mixture completely so that it does not burn. Add milk to the pan and keep on stirring the mixture. Soon, the sauce will thicken and start foaming up. You must keep stirring to maintain the thick consistency. If the sauce becomes too sticky, add some more milk.
- Add a generous amount of Parmesan and let the sauce thicken. Cheese is one of the key ingredients in this recipe. The quality of cheese can make or break this dish. Therefore, purchase the cheese from a certified store. For example, you may look online and find a cheese store in Miami, FL. You can browse through different qualities and types of cheese before ordering the ones needed for your recipe. When it comes to pasta, you can never add too much cheese.
- Now pour the spices (dried thyme, oregano, and nutmeg powder) and salt and stir well.
The Final Step: Turn off the heat once the sauce is done. Take another pan and put it on low flame. Now, add some butter and let it melt. Once melted, pour the boiled pasta and the fried veggies. Mix well before pouring in the creamy white sauce. If you like things spicy, you may add a tablespoon of chilly powder or chilly flakes. Now that the pasta is almost ready, you can add cheddar cheese on top of the pasta to get that cheesy flavor.
