White Sauce Pasta
Ingredients
Method
Start by making a roux (pronounced “roo”), a combination of flour and butter cooked together that’s used to thicken sauces. A few tips for this process:
Measure out all the ingredients first, and don’t leave the stove. The cooking process goes quickly, so you don’t want to have to stop to measure an ingredient.
Sauté the garlic only 30 seconds. Be careful not to overcook: it should turn golden and fragrant, but not brown.
Add the flour and whisk constantly. The flour can overcook in an instant, turning a brown color, so cook just until it’s golden.
Whisk in the milk gradually. Add just a little milk first and whisk it in. Continue adding gradually until the sauce is smooth, then cook about 5 minutes until thickened and add the Parmesan and salt.
Spaghetti or fettucine: These long noodles also work well in a creamy sauce.
Penne: Penne is another shape that works well with a creamy white sauce.
Here are some ideas for add-ins:
Tomatoes: sliced cherry tomatoes or chopped ripe tomatoes.
Zucchini: Thinly slice it and add it raw, or half batch of this sauteed zucchini.
Mushrooms: Add herby sauteed mushrooms.
Bell peppers: Make sauteed peppers and throw them in.
Herbs: Add chopped fresh herbs like basil, thyme, oregano, or dill.
Shrimp or chicken: Add sauteed shrimp or chopped pan seared chicken breast
Sauteed veggies: Try sauteed broccoli, sauteed carrots, peas with lemon, sauteed green beans or steamed green beans.
Leafy greens: Try sauteed kale, sauteed spinach, or sauteed rainbow chard.
Salad: Try chopped salad, cabbage salad.