pasta

Jalapeño Cilantro Mac & Cheese

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Mac and cheese. Oh my. Yum. Something about mac and cheese in general makes my mouth water. But then sandwich a jalapeño, cilantro, and spinach puree of wonderfulness between 2 layers of mac and cheese and WOW! Flavor explosion in your mouth.

Mac and cheese has the creamy, melt in your mouth, comfort food thing that everyone loves. The jalapeño cilantro layer gives the classic dish a punch that makes you think of mac and cheese in a whole new way! *Bonus* that it’s really not hard to pull together. Classic dish + extra punch + easy = AWESOME!!
 
I came up with this recipe after my husband asked for mac and cheese for the 1,000th time. Let’s be honest here…I love mac and cheese as well so it’s not usually hard to convince me to make it. Except that I wish I had a special contraption to make rotini from scratch since I’m on such a homemade pasta kick. I’m pretty sure I’ll get over it. With the help of some delicious mac and cheese, of course. 
 
I have recently been completing the “I would actually love to eat this again” test on food because I don’t want to torture you with just average recipes. That would just be mean. I can assure you that this definitely gets two thumbs up and passes the “eat this again” test with flying colors. 
 
One great thing about this recipe is that you can alter it to fit your taste! If you want it more rich, replace more of the milk with cream. If you want it less rich, use only skim milk. If you want it more spicy, include the jalapeño seeds. If you want it less spicy, remove the jalapeño seeds or even reduce the amount of jalapeño in the puree. If you have a favorite cheese that you are dying to use, you can use basically any kind of shredded melting cheese for the sauce! Isn’t that great?? I think it is.
 
Jalapeño Cilantro Mac & Cheese
Serves 4
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Prep Time
25 min
Cook Time
15 min
Prep Time
25 min
Cook Time
15 min
For the mac and cheese
  1. 1 pound dried pasta (I used rotini)
  2. 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
  3. 1/2 cup flour
  4. 4 cups of milk (I used 3 cups of milk and 1 cup of cream but you can use any combination of milk and cream to make it more or less rich)
  5. 1 teaspoon salt
  6. 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  7. 4 1/2 cups grated cheese (I combined 1.25 cups Gouda and 3.25 cups of cheddar)
For the jalapeno cilantro layer
  1. 1 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
  2. 2-3 jalapeño peppers
  3. 4 cups roughly chopped fresh spinach
  4. 1/4 cup heavy cream
  5. pinch of salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Boil the pasta until al dente, as instructed on the box.
  3. Melt the butter in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the flour and whisk together for about 1 minute. Add the milk/cream, salt, and pepper. Whisk continuously until the mixture starts to bubble, then continue to whisk for about 1 more minute until it is thick and creamy. Remove mixture from heat and add 4 cups of the cheese (I saved the last 1/2 cup for the top). Stir until the cheese is melted into the sauce.
  4. Combine the cheese sauce with the pasta in a large bowl or pot. Set aside.
  5. In a food processor or blender, add the cilantro, 2 jalapeño peppers (I used seeds and all but remove the seeds if you don't like it as spicy), spinach, cream, and salt. Blend to a puree.
  6. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and pour half of the mac and cheese into the pan. Spread to even out the layer. Spoon the jalapeño cilantro puree over the mac and cheese in an even layer. Spread the remaining mac and cheese evenly over top. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and a sliced jalapeño (optional).
  7. Bake for about 15 minutes to heat through. Broil for another 3-5 minutes until it is golden brown on top.
Notes
  1. You can add more or less jalapeño depending on how spicy you like food. If you remove the seeds, it will cut down on the heat. Remember to wash your hands after working with jalapeño and don't touch your eyes or they will burn!
Flavor From Scratch https://www.flavorfromscratch.com/
 
 

Veggie Packed Peanut Butter Pasta

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This pasta dish is CRAZY good. Seriously. Don’t believe me? My sister and her husband along with my *adorable* niece were here a couple weekends ago from Ohio and we made this pasta dish together. While eating, the conversation went something like this:

Sister: This is soooo good. The best thing I ever ate.

Me: I know, right?

Brother-in-law to my sister: Steph sent you this recipe, right?

Sister: Yeah I should have it in my email.

Brother-in-law: Ok, good. Just wanted to make sure.

Then, silence. While eating. And eating. And eating. The only one who wasn’t silent was my niece but that’s because she’s a baby and was hungry. Can’t blame her really. She is only just starting to eat real food and doesn’t understand the concept “CRAZY good” yet. All she knew was that she was hungry so she’s exempt from the silence while eating I speak of.

Needless to say, my sister and her husband ate the leftovers the next day before they went home. They also made it about 2 days later. Actually, every time we’ve talked since then my sister says they are eating it for dinner. I’m starting to wonder if this is all they eat.

Well to add to the fun, my sister and brother-in-law apparently told my parents about this pasta gold and my parents ended up coming a couple weekends later. I’m pretty sure they came for the pasta. Forget their daughter. Forget their son-in-law. Forget their cute grandkitties. They came for this pasta. What is this world coming to?? Delicious pasta…that’s what it’s coming to. I’m okay with that honestly.

Why is it so delicious? It’s probably the homemade pasta. Or maybe the abundance of colorful and delicious vegetables. Or maybe the creamy, salty, sweet, tangy sauce that goes on top. You’ll have to decide why you love it so much. All I know is this recipe is worth the time. Now go make it. Thanks. Actually, you should be thanking me for giving you the recipe. It’s that good.

Veggie Packed Peanut Butter Pasta
Serves 4
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
30 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
30 min
Pasta and veggie ingredients
  1. 1/2 of fresh homemade pasta recipe (or 1 pound of dried pasta)
  2. 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  3. 1 red bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
  4. 1 yellow bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
  5. 3 carrots, peeled and sliced into thin sticks
  6. 2 cups shredded red cabbage
  7. 1 bag frozen shelled edamame (10 ounce bag)
Peanut butter sauce ingredients
  1. 1/2 cup peanut butter (crunchy or creamy)
  2. 1/4 cup soy sauce
  3. 2 tablespoons honey
  4. 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  5. 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
  6. 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  7. 1 clove garlic, minced
  8. 1 teaspoon sriracha, or to taste
  9. 1/4 cup pasta water, as needed
Instructions
  1. Whisk all the peanut butter sauce ingredients (except the pasta water) together in a bowl. This can also be done in food processor, though I like the crunch of the crunchy peanut butter we used.
  2. Prepare pasta by cooking al dente. Save 1/4 cup of the pasta water to help thin the peanut butter sauce.
  3. While the pasta is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a large saute pan, then add the bell peppers and carrots. Saute for 2-3 minutes
  4. Add the red cabbage and edamame. Saute for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until edamame is heated through.
  5. Toss the peanut butter sauce, sauteed veggies, and pasta together in a large saute pan or pot. Add the pasta water, as needed, to thin the pasta to desired consistency.
Notes
  1. You can add peanuts, sesame seeds, or scallions to garnish if you would like, though I did not. I enjoy using crunchy peanut butter because it adds a crunch to the pasta along with the vegetables. I honestly have never made this recipe with dried pasta. This may be because I have not eaten dried pasta since I got my pasta maker. We're officially pasta snobs I suppose. If you can make the pasta from scratch, go for it! Otherwise, my sister informs me that it is also delicious with dried pasta.
Adapted from Gimme Some Oven
Adapted from Gimme Some Oven
Flavor From Scratch https://www.flavorfromscratch.com/

Fresh Whole Wheat Pasta

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I’m addicted to pasta. It’s a real problem. Don’t judge. You’ll understand once you make it. At least I’ll tell myself that. It will help me sleep at night.

The addiction started when my husband, Travis, got me a pasta machine earlier this year for my birthday. It wasn’t just a wrapped present though. It was an experience. Knowing my love for food, Travis set up a food challenge for me with bins full of “mystery” ingredients for an appetizer, entrée, and dessert (food fans will know this is, of course, based on a popular food challenge show). In each bin, he included a food related gadget to help with my quest, including a pasta machine. Then he gave me some extra money and the charge to go shopping for additional items I may need for my courses.

Now, any normal person would probably say, “Hmm. He gave you food. Then gave you money so you had to grocery shop. Then he made you make dinner. How is that a birthday present?”

My response: “It’s only like the best birthday present ever!”

Yeah I’m weird. But come on, super cute and thoughtful present for a chef wannabe like me. There’s no getting around that.

Over the months my love of pasta has grown exponentially. And again, Travis came to the rescue to make me an *awesome* pasta drying rack (see above picture). It’s just fueling my addiction. Bad news for my waist… good news for my happiness. Just sayin’ it’s probably worth it. And by probably I mean definitely.

Travis has actually become the go-to pasta roller. You can see him above working his magic. I can’t say I mind. I mean who doesn’t love a man that can cook??

Fresh Whole Wheat Pasta
Serves 6
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Ingredients
  1. 2 cups whole wheat flour
  2. 1 cup all purpose flour
  3. 3 eggs
  4. 1/4 - 1/2 cup water
  5. pinch of salt
For the dough
  1. Mix together the 2 types of flour and pinch of salt (to taste). Mound the mixture up on a flat surface. Create a well, or hole, in the middle of the flour.
  2. Crack the eggs into the well and scramble them, making sure not to let them pour out the side of the mound. Add the water (start with 1/4 cup) to the well and mix that into the egg mixture. *You can also mix the water and eggs in a separate bowl then pour it into the well all together*
  3. Start bringing the flour from the walls of the well into the egg mixture with a fork. Eventually you will end up with a dough you can knead. If the dough is not coming together, slowly add more water until it forms a dough.
  4. Knead the dough until it forms an elastic, but not super sticky dough ball. This will probably take at least 5-6 minutes of kneading. Wrap in plastic wrap.
  5. Let the dough sit for 20-30 minutes.
To roll out the dough
  1. Once rested, cut the dough into about 4 pieces to make it easier to work with.
  2. Lightly flour each piece of the dough before putting it through the pasta machine at the lowest level (level 0 on mine).
  3. You will put the dough through the pasta machine at the lowest level a total of 4 more times, folding it into thirds before every run through the machine (see above picture) and lightly flouring the outside if it is sticky. Every run, put the dough through the opposite way (the folded, flat edges should be facing the sides of the pasta machine). This helps create a nice flat edge.
  4. Put the dough through, setting the pasta machine up one setting for each run, until you reach the desired thickness.
  5. Use an attachment to cut the dough into the desired shape, cut by hand or leave as sheets for lasagna
  6. At this point you can let the pasta dry and refrigerate for another time or put immediately into boiling water to cook for 2-5 minutes depending on the thickness and width of your pasta.
Notes
  1. This recipe is actually only 2/3 whole wheat flour. I find that it helps keep the pasta a little lighter but feel free to use all whole wheat flour. You may need to add more liquid to the dough if you do this.
  2. My dough is usually a little drier than other recipes I've seen. This never seems to be a problem once it rests and is put through the pasta machine.
  3. We ended up at a level 5 thickness for our fettuccine but we usually will end up on a level 7 for regular spaghetti.
  4. If you don't have a pasta machine, you can still make pasta! Follow the steps to make the dough then roll out the dough by hand. You'll need some muscle for that task but on the plus side you can skip your workout for the day you make it!
Flavor From Scratch https://www.flavorfromscratch.com/
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