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I love making different types of macaroni and cheese using different types of pasta noodles and cheeses. Instead of the classic cheddar cheese mac and cheese, I wanted to try something that is a little more spicy. Both monterey jack cheese and cheddar cheese are used to create a cheesy slightly spicy pasta. Instead of using the traditional elbow shaped pasta, I used rotini spiral shaped pasta. The rontini shaped pasta holds perfectly holds the cheese sauce, and it is a fun alternative to elbow shaped pasta. Serve this cheesy pasta as a vegetarian meal served with garlic bread or salad. Or this pasta can be made as a side dish to go along with any main dish.
Cook your pasta according to the package directions, drain and place the pasta into a large bowl. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook garlic in the butter until fragrant. Cook flour in the saucepan to brown it, creating a roux for the sauce which helps it thicken. Pour in milk, both cheeses and seasonings, let the sauce cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the sauce is thickened and both of the cheeses are melted. Mix the cheese sauce with the cooked pasta and serve. To season the sauce, I used salt, pepper and paprika. The paprika makes the pasta a little spicy, although if you would rather less spice you can leave it out. The pasta will still have tons of flavor from both the cheddar cheese and the monetery jack cheese.
Cheesy Monterey Jack Rotini
Ingredients
- 16 oz. rotini pasta
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and place into a large bowl. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add garlic and cook for a minute until fragrant. Add flour and cook for a minute to brown. Whisk in milk, monterey jack cheese, cheddar cheese, salt, pepper and paprika.
- Continue to cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the sauce has thickened and the cheese is fully melted. Mix sauce with cooked pasta.