
Stronger cheeses like feta, pecorino, parmesan, and blue cheese can also come into play, but are best mixed into a base of a mellower cheese (something neutral and subtle like Jack) so the flavor doesn’t get overwhelming and the texture stays silky. Melt three tablespoons in a pan and when it starts to bubble introduce an equal amount of flour and stir till brown. It starts with a base, in this case butter. Putting it together is like assembling a string quartet.
BEST PASTA SHAPE FOR MAC AND CHEESE MAC
And be sure to pick a more mature version of whichever cheese you choose that will give you the best flavor. The key to mac and cheese, even more than the pasta, is the sauce. A blend of any of the above is even better. Don’t Use the Wrong Cheeseįor a properly creamy and gooey mac, you want to pick a good melting cheese cheddar is never a bad choice, but Jack and swiss also work well. I especially love shells, campanelle, and the ever-classic elbow macaroni.

Follow this tip: Select a pasta with plenty of surface area and nooks and crannies to capture as much of that blissful cheese sauce as possible. Keep whisking (or stirring with a wooden spoon) until it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Correspondingly, what kind of pasta do you use for macaroni and cheese Stay away from long, thin pasta like spaghetti and linguine, and shapes that are super tiny. Pour in a slow stream to start, whisking in a small amount of milk at a time so it’s easy to incorporate, and when you have a smooth, velvety sauce, you can add the rest all at once. Then, when the roux is ready, whisk in the warm milk fairly fast-going too slow also promotes lumps-but not all of it at once. Start warming your milk before you even begin the roux, and bring it just to a simmer.

Warm is the key word here-cold milk will make the roux seize and the sauce lumpy. Ingredients Nonstick cooking spray 1 16 ounce package dried cavatappi or corkscrew-shape pasta 3 tablespoons unsalted butter cup finely chopped onion (1. Once the roux is at the right stage, you’ll whisk in warm milk to make the bechamel.
