Add Crème Fraîche to Pasta and Cheese
A few weeks ago, in an effort to breathe new life into some leftovers, I added a spoonful of crème fraîche to a bowl of pork stew . It melted to form a creamy tomato sauce that was very rich and delicious. I bet this will give us macaroni and cheese, I thought.
I thought correctly. I started out simply by adding crème fraîche instead of butter and milk to a box of kraft paper. (I didn’t measure, but I added just enough with a spoon to melt the cheese powder into the sauce.) Like the stew before, it was rich and delicious. The next step was obviously a baked situation.
I usually work on the stove and lean towards a sticky bowl of pasta to eat with a spoon rather than a creamy bowl of cheese noodles. But the baked version has its merits, namely a crispy, crispy fried filling and elastic little cheese strips that tie the tender pasta to other noodle friends. Crème fraîche helps stretch the cheese inside the pasta, providing a base for mixing and melting the cheese.
This is a simple recipe that can be varied. A pound of pasta, a little over a pound of cheese, and eight ounces of crème fraîche are really all you need for a golden cheese pan of pasta, but you can of course add mustard or herbs, or sprinkle it all over with potatoes. chips . I am a macaroni and cheese architect, creating a solid structure, and you are an interior designer. (And the roofer, I suppose? Because you can make a roof out of potato chips? Honestly, I don’t know much about construction.)
You also have a lot of freedom in the cheese section, but I think you should pick at least three. I tried Gruyere, Gouda, and Carrigold Cheddar – about a cup of each – and I loved it, but as long as you have a little over three cups of grated cheese you should be fine. At least three-quarters of a cup of cheese should be set aside for an effervescent grill top, and you can use a mixture of all your cheeses or one serving of cheese. This is all very condescending, that’s what I’m talking about.
To do this miracle without ru, you will need:
- 1 lb macaroni or similar macaroni (one smart commenter recently suggested Mac heatsinks, which was a good suggestion)
- 1 cup grated gruyere
- 1 cup grated gouda cheese
- 1 1/4 cups chopped hot cheddar, divided into 1/2 and 3/4 cup servings
- 1 cup crème fraîche
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Bring a large saucepan of heavily salted water to a boil and heat the oven to 350 ℉. Chop the cheese and add all but 3/4 cup cheddar to a very large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the crème fraîche, mustard, salt and pepper until smooth. Combine the crème fraîche mixture with the grated cheese and stir with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until the cheese is evenly distributed over the crème fraîche. Set aside.
After the water has boiled, add the pasta and cook until it’s just al dente. Using a spider or slotted spoon, transfer the wet paste directly from the saucepan to the bowl of cheese and crème fraîche. The pasta water that comes with the noodles will help the creamy sauce take shape. Combine the pasta with the cheese mixture, add more pasta water if needed to keep it nice and smooth, then transfer to a lightly oiled baking dish (9 “by 9” or something similar is fine). Top with the remaining cheese and bake for 20-30 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and the sides are bubbling. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.