Macaroni and 4 Cheeses is a traditional Italian dish that has won the hearts of many pasta lovers. The history of this delicious recipe dates back to the Middle Ages, when people began using cheese in cooking to flavor pasta.
The American “Mac and Cheese” dates back to at least the 18th century, when European settlers brought the tradition of cooking pasta with cheese to America. However, the recipe gained popularity during the Great Depression of the 1930s due to the ease of finding and preparing inexpensive ingredients. The modern version of macaroni and cheese typically uses elbow or macaroni pasta, cooked al dente, and a creamy sauce made with cheddar cheese or a combination of cheeses.
Over time, this dish has become a beloved comfort food around the world, and its versatility has led to many variations and reinterpretations.
Ingredients for 3 servings:
500 ml / 2 cups milk
40 g / 5 ⅛ tbsp flour
Salt, pepper, nutmeg
150 g – 200 g / 5,29 oz – 7,05 oz cheese
(grana, parmesan, gorgonzola, fontina)
300g pasta
How to make it:
A creamy base is needed to flavor the pasta, in many cases cream is used, but I advise against it because it is very greasy and too flavorful, so I use milk.
Pour half a liter of cold milk and 40 grams of flour into a non-iron or aluminum pan. Mix.
Turn on the heat, add salt, pepper and nutmeg and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly.
When the milk comes to a boil and the sauce thickens, remove from heat and continue stirring for one minute.
Add 200 grams of your favorite mixed cheese; do not use fresh sour or stringy cheeses.
Use Gruyere, Gorgonzola, Fontina, Edamer, Cheddar or other cheeses.
The heat of the sauce will melt them immediately, or you can put the cheese sauce back on the heat for a minute.
Cook 300 grams of macaroni or other pasta of your choice, and when cooked but not overcooked, add it to the sauce.
Mix well.
The cheese pasta can be eaten immediately, but I recommend rolling it out well, adding more cheese, especially Parmesan, and putting it under the oven grill for a few minutes to get a moving red crust.