Tomato-Basil Stovetop Mac and Cheese
Try this Tomato-Basil Stovetop Mac and Cheese recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Tomato-Basil Stovetop Mac and Cheese recipe, or contribute your own.
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 7 oz dry gluten-free macaroni
- 2 large cloves garlic pressed or minced
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free flour (i used king arthur measure for
- 1-1/2 cups milk (i used unsweetened almond milk but recommend 2% milk if using cow’s milk)
- 8 oz freshly shredded fontina cheese
- 2 roma tomatoes seeded and chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves finely chopped
- Carbohydrate 0.57038125006119 g
- Cholesterol 15.2515625065405 mg
- Fat 5.77820062748178 g
- Fiber 0.0738999992371406 g
- Protein 0.239171875096423 g
- Saturated Fat 3.64633900156358 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (118g)
- Sodium 59.6411432467788 mg
- Sugar 0.496481250824049 g
- Trans Fat 0.408281125175464 g
- Calories 54 calories
Step-by-step
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil then add macaroni and cook until just under al dente.
- Meanwhile, melt butter in a 3 quart saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic then saute until very fragrant and just barely turning golden brown, 1 minute. Sprinkle in gluten-free flour then whisk for 1 minute. Slowly stream in milk while whisking constantly to create a smooth sauce then season with salt and pepper and turn heat up to medium-high to bring milk to a bubble, stirring constantly.
- Turn heat down to medium then stir constantly until sauce has thickened, 5 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat then add shredded cheese in two batches, stirring until very smooth before adding the second batch. Taste then add salt and/or pepper if necessary.
- Drain pasta then add to the cheese sauce and stir to combine. Add tomatoes and basil then stir to combine. Serve immediately.
The ingredient measurements alone do not explain how liquid fats and plant milks behave when constructing a roux. Standard dairy milk contains proteins and natural sugars that thicken predictably under heat. Substituting unsweetened almond milk alters this dynamic because lower fat content reduces sauce viscosity. Using 2 percent cow's milk maintains the necessary fat ratio without requiring heavy cream. Furthermore, gluten-free flour lacks structural elasticity. Whisking the flour and butter for exactly one minute cooks out the raw starch taste before the liquid enters the pan.
Managing the Cheese and Reduction
Shredding fontina cheese by hand guarantees smooth melting. Pre-bagged shreds contain cellulose powders that prevent clumping and simultaneously block emulsion in a sauce. Add the cheese off the heat source. Excessive heat splits dairy fats from their water content, leaving an oily film across the sauce surface. Introduce the cheese in two distinct additions. Stir until the first portion incorporates completely before adding the remainder.Judging Doneness Without Instruments
Testing pasta doneness requires visual and tactile checks rather than electronic timing. Remove a single piece of macaroni from the boiling water at the eight-minute mark. Bite through the center to inspect the texture. A faint white ring inside indicates the pasta is slightly under al dente. The macaroni finishes softening directly within the warm cheese sauce. Seed the Roma tomatoes before chopping them. Excess tomato liquid will thin the final cheese emulsion.
