Smoked Gouda Macaroni

A smoky and savory flavored spin on a classic.

Smoked Gouda Macaroni and Cheese with Sautéed Tomatoes

This is a slightly different take on macaroni and cheese. If you know me well, you know mac and cheese is one of my favorites. Combining one of my beloved cheeses [smoked gouda] and “small thimbles” pasta [ditalini] resulted in this versatile dish.

• Begin by cooking pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water – 2 tablespoons-ish. Allow to cook until al dente. Reserve some pasta water, drain well, rinse with cool water and return to pot or large mixing bowl.
• Heat olive oil in a small pan on medium-high. Sauté garlic until fragrant. Add tomatoes and cook until liquid is reduced. Reduce heat and set aside.

• Melt butter in a saucepan on medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, whisk in flour to make a roux about 2-3 minutes. Stir constantly until the roux is light blonde.

• Add milk and whisk continuously until smooth. The white sauce [béchamel] will thicken in about 5-6 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce, paprika, dry mustard, nutmeg, Kosher salt and white pepper to taste.

• Lower heat to medium-low and add cheese to béchamel. Stir until cheese is melted.
• Stir in ditalini until coated. At this point, if the sauce is too thick add some of the reserved pasta water.

• Garnish ditalini with sautéed tomatoes and serve hot.

Serving Suggestion: Serve this as main dish or a side. It pairs well with any grilled protein – chicken, shrimp, steak, etc. Also keep in mind the sautéed tomatoes are optional but they definitely help cut through the creaminess of the pasta with a subtle acidity. Eat your vegetables [fruits]! 😆

Smoked Gouda Macaroni

An elevated and smoky flavored spin on a classic.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 lb ditalini Pasta
• 3 tbsp flour
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup smoked gouda shredded
• ¼ cup mozzarella shredded
• 2 ½ cups milk
• ½ cup reserved pasta water
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp dry mustard
• 1 dash nutmeg
• 1 cup tomatoes diced
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• ½ tbsp olive oil
• Kosher salt to taste
• White pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve some pasta water, drain well, rinse with cool water and return to pot or large mixing bowl.
• Heat olive oil in a small pan on medium-high. Sauté garlic until fragrant. Add tomatoes and cook until liquid is reduced. Reduce heat and set aside.
• Melt butter in a saucepan on medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, whisk in flour to make a roux about 2-3 minutes. Stir constantly until the roux is light blonde.
• Add milk and whisk continuously until smooth. The white sauce [béchamel] will thicken in about 5-6 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce, paprika, dry mustard, nutmeg, Kosher salt and white pepper to taste.
• Lower heat to medium-low and add cheese to béchamel. Stir until cheese is melted.
• Stir in ditalini until coated. At this point, if the sauce is too thick add some of the reserved pasta water.
• Garnish ditalini with sautéed tomatoes and serve hot.

Keyword classic, comfort food, quick

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