Okay we’ve got no time to waste so let’s get right down to it. This super easy gluten free mac and cheese is just the recipe you need. I know this because I use it regularly for a last-minute dinner in my house when I basically have nothing planned and everyone is hungry hungry hungry. It’s made entirely on the stovetop, uses only basic gluten free pantry ingredients (yes, you really do need a basic gum-free gluten free flour blend but it’s only 3 simple flours and incredibly useful), has no eggs and is ready in minutes. So not only is it perfect for a weeknight (or a Friday night when you’re just.plain.tired), it’s also perfect for the holiday table since, well, it doesn’t use the oven!
It’s creamy and dreamy and delicious. And you can even make the pasta hours and hours ahead of time, then just cover it and keep it at room temperature until you’re ready to throw together the cheese sauce and serve. It’s that easy!
Okay so I did the step-by-steps, but mostly because my husband happened to be home for the day and he was willing to be my hand model. But also because you can see for yourself how easy it is.
So creamy! I’ve even made the pasta at home, then brought the handful of cheese sauce ingredients and a medium-size pot, and made this at my brother’s house to serve a great gluten free meal away from home with ease. Boom!
16 to 20 ounces small dried gluten free pasta (I used Barilla gluten free pasta elbows)
1 to 2 tablespoons (14 to 28 g) extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter, chopped
1/3 cup (47 g) gluten free flour blend (31 grams superfine white rice flour + 10 grams potato starch + 6 grams tapioca starch/flour)
1 can (12 fluid ounces) lowfat evaporated milk
2 to 2 1/2 cups (16 to 20 fluid ounces) milk, at room temperature (any kind, just not nonfat)
1 pound (16 ounces) part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (or a mix of mozzarella and cheddar cheeses)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Boil the pasta in a large pasta pot to an al dente texture, according to the package directions. Drain the pasta, return it to the pasta pot and toss it with olive oil to prevent it from sticking together. Cover the pasta pot and set it aside.*
*Make ahead option: You can place the cooked pasta in a large bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and leave it out at room temperature for up to 8 hours before proceeding with the recipe.
To make the cheese sauce, melt the chopped butter in a medium-sized, heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour blend and stir to combine well. The mixture will clump at first, and then smooth. This is the roux that will thicken the cheese sauce. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture has just begun to turn a very light brown color (about 2 minutes). Add the evaporated milk to the roux very slowly, stirring constantly to break up any lumps that might form. Add 2 cups of milk, and whisk to combine well. Bring the mixture to a simmer and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced by about one-quarter (about 7 minutes). Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the grated cheese and mix to combine with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pour the hot cheese sauce over the cooked pasta, and stir carefully to coat all of the pasta in the cheese sauce without breaking up the pasta at all. Serve immediately.
No comments:
Post a Comment