I've been in a macaroni and cheese mood. It's one of my favorite comfort foods. It's the thing that I turn to when I stare blankly into the fridge going, "I have noooooooothing to eeeeeeeeeat." Maybe for simply the reason that, no matter how bare my cupboards might be, I likely always have a block of cheese. Or probably half a dozen blocks of cheese. One can never have too much cheese. Although you can make just about any recipe with vegan cheese, I'm personally a little bit too fond of cheese to take that leap. Today, I decided to make it a little bit more festive by tossing in some spinach, flaming jade peppers from my garden, and Pecorino Romano in this macaroni and cheese. You can feel free to mix and match your own favorite ingredients or what you have lying around the house, yourself.
Macaroni and cheese is an incredibly simply dish to toss together. I don't even look at recipes any more. I just add 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup flour, typically a bottle of wine (although that part's optional, you can use pasta water or milk/cream as a substitute), and whatever cheese I have on hand. The sky is the limit!
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Variations of Pecorino Romano Macaroni & Cheese
Spinach and peppers are a classic addition to macaroni and cheese. Although there are plenty of other options. Macaroni and cheese is a great recipe to mix and match to make your own. I tend to raid my refrigerator and pick out anything and everything that can possibly toss into this casserole.
This Macaroni & Cheese consists of butter, all-purpose flour, salt, pepper, mustard powder, Worcestershire sauce, Greek yogurt, dry white wine (I used sauvignon blanc), and Pecorino Romano cheese.
Add about 4 inches of water to a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
Cook pasta according to the manufacturer's instructions. This typically entails boiling for about 8-12 minutes, or until barely al dente.
The pasta will cook another half hour in the oven, so make sure not to overcook them during this stage!
Drain pasta and set aside. You may want to stir it occasionally to keep the noodles from sticking together.
Prepare Roux
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Lightly coat the bottom and sides of a large baking dish with olive oil and set aside.
Preheat saucepan on medium-heat. Add 1/4 cup butter and melt.
Immediately when the butter melts, add flour and stir constantly until incorporated. This should take about 3 minutes.Do NOT brown or overcook, though. You just want the butter and flour to incorporate until you add the spices.
Add salt, pepper, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir constantly for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Add Greek yogurt, a little at a time, and stir constantly until incorporated after each addition. Adding too much at once can cause the roux to separate. Although this is less of an issue with yogurt as it is milk or cream, it is still something to watch out for!
Meanwhile, grate the cheddar cheese and add to roux 1/2 cup at a time. Mix constantly until fully incorporated.
Add just enough of the dry white wine to thin out the sauce. I typically use about 1/4 to 1/2 cup. Although it does vary slightly from batch to batch.You want the sauce to be about the consistency of an Alfredo sauce. It should spread easily, but is not a liquid. I would suggest airing on the side of caution and adding less, mixing the pasta in, and then adding more if necessary for it to achieve the quintessential macaroni and cheese texture.You can also use pasta water instead of or in addition to wine.
Add noodles, spinach, and peppers. Stir until fully coated in the cheese sauce.
Bake Macaroni & Cheese
Pour macaroni and cheese into greased baking dish.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the top begins to brown.
Let cool slightly and cut into 2-inch squares. Serve immediately.
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
You can reheat macaroni in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. However, macaroni and cheese doesn't necessarily reheat well! After refrigeration, the noodles typically harden and the lasagna tends to dry out. The pasta will likely overcook during this process. And the cheese tends to separate and get oily if you reheat too rapidly.
Whatever you do, absolutely do not put macaroni and cheese in the microwave!!
Alternatively, you can reheat on the stovetop. Just place in a skillet with a lid and slowly bring the heat to medium. When the macaroni begins to soften, carefully spear with a silicone spatula to separate. Continue to heat with the lid on and stir occasionally. You may need to add additional milk or Greek yogurt to this to help prevent the noodles from drying out and the cheese from separating.
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