Ready in less than 20 minutes

This recipe comes from a friend of mine who lived in Italy for 7 years… When I asked her what was her son’s favorite meal, she said ‘pasta’, of course, but it was not the typical tomato/meatball type I expected… It was what we call here a good old Mac n’Cheese, but with the Italian twist! So easy, you won’t believe it, and it is made with whatever cheese and pasta you have left over in the house.

Here it is:

Use any shape of pasta you have in the pantry, spaghetti, macaroni, linguini, shells, penne, any one will do.

Plus all the pieces of left over cheese you have in the fridge, whether it is cheddar, parmesan, goat cheese, or brie…

Cook the pasta in a big pot of salter water, according to the time directions on the package and making sure to keep one little glass of the hot cooking water.

Grate all the left over cheese in a big bowl with a little chunk of butter and some milk (about 1/4 cup) and add the hot water you removed from the cooking pasta. Mix well. The hot water will melt the cheese and you will get a nice sauce out of it.

Then, to make if even richer and better, add one egg yolk, some lemon zest and any minced fresh herb you have handy, basil, sage, thyme or other herb.

When the pasta is ready, drain the water and beat them into the cheese mixture, making sure there are all well coated with your fabulous improvised cheese sauce. Do not hesitate to add some pieces of ham or bacon to taste!

Bon Appétit!