By Carmel Karni — See the recipe
Mac and Cheese with Spinach
This is my all time favorite method to make mac and cheese. It’s fast, delicious and almost as easy as making a box version. Therefore- very easy. Follow the method closely, once you have it, this method is endlessly riffable. Change the cheeses, add other veggies. Eat as a stovetop mac or bake into a casserole.
Mac and Cheese with Spinach
Ingredients
- 1 lb short pasta
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups water
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tbs dijon mustard (optional)
- 7-8 oz (about two cups grated) sharp cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 lb baby spinach
Topping
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- A hefty pinch of salt
- A drizzle of oil
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
- You can add some thyme, pepper flakes, or any other seasoning you like.
If baking the pasta, heat your oven to 400 degrees. Put the pasta, milk, water, salt and mustard in a medium pot. Bring to a boil. Mix everything fairly vigorously every minute or so while the pot comes to a boil and continue doing so while the pasta cooks. It is very important to mix the pasta. Mixing releases the starches and thickens the liquids into a sauce. When the pasta softens, the liquids will thicken. It should look like heavy cream*
Meanwhile, heat a medium pan and add the breadcrumbs, salt and a drizzle of oil. Toast the bread crumbs until they are lightly golden brown. Turn off the heat and add the parmesan.
once the pasta is cooked (taste it!) turn off the heat, add the cheeses and mix until the pasta is coated in a velvety sauce. Add the spinach, one handful at a time while mixing. The heat will wilt the spinach. You can sprinkle the topping and eat as is, or pour the pasta into a pyrex pan, top with the breadcrumbs and bake until golden and bubbly, about 15 minutes. Let rest for about 5 minutes before tucking in.
* If the pasta is softening but the liquids are lower than the pasta, add a little more water. A little bit at a time and continue stirring. However, you do not want too much liquid. This will cause the sauce to break later. If you have a lot of liquid around the pasta when it is almost done, ladle some out until the liquid in your pot is almost at the same height of the pasta. This is easier than it seems. You will get the hang of it.
