I never realized how often I make pasta until I saw the number of pasta recipes in queue for this site. I don’t feel like we eat pasta that much, I don’t even particularly like pasta. It must just be that it’s so easy to just boil some water and throw a sauce together after 8 hours of work, 2 hours of commuting, and an hour of gym time. When all I want to do is just go home and crash, apparently pasta is my go-to dish.
While I usually will make pasta with a red sauce or just some fresh sauteed veggies, it’s always good to change it up now and then with something new. This particular recipe comes to us from a recent issue of Cooking Light. I used skim milk and added some shredded chicken for extra protein.
Creamy Cheesy Pasta
· 8 ounces uncooked pasta
· 1 cup milk
· 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil, divided
· 1/2 tsp salt
· 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
· 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
· 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
· 1/2 C (2 oz) shaved fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
· 1 1/2 Tbsp mascarpone cheese
· ½ – 1 C cooked, shredded chicken* (optional)
1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.
2. While pasta cooks, whisk together milk, 2 teaspoons basil, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
3. Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add flour to pan, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Add milk mixture; cook for 3 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, and add 1 1/2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano and mascarpone cheese to milk mixture. Add pasta and chicken to pan and toss with tongs to combine.
5. Sprinkle with remaining 4 teaspoons basil and remaining 1/2 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano. Serve
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