Smitten Kitchen’s Stovetop Mac and Cheese

Bring a small-to-medium pot of very well-salted water to a boil and add your dried pasta. Cook it until firm tender, then drain. Return the pot to the stove and melt the butter in the bottom. Using a spoon or whisk, add the flour and mix until it disappears. Add the milk, a tiny splash at a time, stirring constantly so no lumps form. Season with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and many grinds of black pepper. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in grated cheese until combined. Add drained pasta, stir to evenly coat. Scoop into a bowl (okay, I won’t tell anyone if you don’t) and finish it with more black pepper, if you wish. Repeat as needed. Serves 1.

Notes: I use Parmesan or pecorino here, because I find them to have the maximum salty, cheesy impact in small quantities, plus, I always keep them around. But, I often swap half (1/4 cup or 1/2 oz.) with a sharp white cheddar, for a more traditional flavor. Do not go crazy measuring two teaspoons of butter from a stick, just use a little shy of the tablespoon mark.

Recipe courtesy of Deb Perelman, cookbook author and founder of Smitten Kitchen