I Hereby Declare It the Mac and Cheese of Summer
I firmly believe that macaroni and cheese is a year-round meal. However, in the summer, I find the roux-based cheese sauce heavy and quite rich, which I can’t handle in hot weather. It makes my cheese sweat, and it’s not cute. Eager to focus on the light, bright flavors of summer while quenching my thirst for a comforting cheese-glazed pasta, I came up with this simple recipe: summer mac and cheese.
Instead of making dressings or other multi-step macaroni and cheese that is baked in the oven, simplicity is the main ingredient in this recipe. It’s all on the stovetop, and (in even more summer-friendly style) the heat doesn’t go out once the pasta is cooked. The “sauce” is tart, rich, salty, floral and herbal. It seems strange that you can describe something as simple, but at the same time it carries all these flavors, but it’s true. Made with just lemon, ricotta and basil, this summery sauce is cooked and tossed with pasta at the same time, coming together in seconds.
Here are some of the tools I used to make this dish:
I used spaghetti rigati because I’m partial to long, stringy varieties for this, but you can really use any form of pasta. Boil pasta in salted water according to package directions, or as usual. There is very little leftover cooking left after you’ve finished boiling pasta, so don’t leave it al dente unless you really want to eat it with that firmness. Drain the pasta, but leave about two tablespoons of pasta water in the pot.
Add the zest and juice of half a lemon to a saucepan with pasta and water. Add a few chopped (or chiffonade ) basil leaves, salt, and ricotta cheese. Throw. Lemon juice and pasta water will turn the ricotta cheese into a rich and tangy, light but sticky sauce, while lemon zest and basil will infuse the dish with a bright flavor. Each bite is like a sunny day in the park, but it’s pasta and you don’t need to take a nap afterwards.
This recipe is for two servings or one very happy person. Plate and serve without delay.
Summer Mac & Cheese
Ingredients:
- 4 oz spaghetti rigati
- ½ lemon zest (about 2 teaspoons)
- ½ lemon juice (about 2 teaspoons)
- 4-8 basil leaves, lightly sliced or chiffonade
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
In a medium saucepan, cook pasta according to package directions, or as usual. Drain the pasta, but leave about 2 tablespoons of the pasta water in the pot. Add lemon zest and juice, chopped basil, salt and ricotta cheese. Stir until most of the ricotta is softened (but a few pieces of softened cheese would be nice), and serve.