Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Back to the food...

Since we just got back, I needed something that would use up stuff from the fridge and the pantry as we didn't have time to go out and shop for groceries just yet. I picked through the recipes and came up with one that used everything we had on hand. It got bonus points for using a shape of pasta we had not used before that I bought on a whim.

I used Cellentani pasta from Barilla in the recipe Creamy Stove-Top Macaroni and Cheese. This pasta is like a long version of Cavatappi. This quick to make recipe utilizes the time waiting for the pasta to cook to create a thick and creamy sauce that is packed with cheesy flavor. The recipe originally called for cream cheese, but since I didn't have any on hand, I used Laughing Cow's Creamy Swiss Wedges. It melted well and the smooth swiss flavor went very well with the stronger Asiago and Provolone cheeses that I used. The bite from the mustard and Worcestershire was subtle, but added a nice background of flavor and just enough saltiness. If you wanted a less pungent cheese flavor, feel free to use cheddar which will also give it a classic yellow hue.

11 comments:

  1. Hey there, Joe and Jeff. Hope you had a great trip. Any luck with the house hunting?

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  2. Looks yummy. You know, that kind of curly pasta is sold in my tiny village regularly under the name "ScoobyDoo". I always wondered about its real name. Funny that we can get that shape but we can't get a regular fix on rigatoni. *sigh* Sometimes they make weird choices here.

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  3. Great recipe. Love mac 'n cheese & using different pastas in the dish.

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  4. Oh my goodness that looks very good!

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  5. that looks oowie gooey delicious!

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  6. It does look yummy and cheesy!
    I also like to use those laughing cows wedges when the recipe calls for cream cheese, I prefer them and think they are a lot more flavorful than cream cheese.
    Ana

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  7. Harry - Not yet, but we are heading back out in a few days to see what new ones have come on the market! We hope to make an offer on something this trip.

    Nerissa - That's a cool name for pasta!

    Fran - Thanks!

    Ivonne - I had the leftovers today - it reheated very well.

    Barbie2be - Thanks!

    Ana - the wedges are great with Kashi TLC crackers too.

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  8. Ooh, i'm feeling homesick, this might be just what the doctor ordered. I'd use cheddar, but there's none here worth buying - on the other hand, real gouda just came to town, and Danablue is always on hand (love them industrial processing techniques).

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  9. mm comfort food. The cheesier the better! yum

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  10. Robert - I have a smoked gouda mac n cheese recipe post that is awesome too!

    Catesa - Yeah!

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  11. Mmm, that looks tasty. Great idea using the Laughing Cow wedges! I love those with TLC crackers, myself :-) I prefer them with the 7-grain.

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