Mac n' kitchen sink

Easy twist on classic mac n' cheese. The roasted garlic is what makes it for me, but if you don't want to bother, don't - you can pretty much combine anything with macaroni and béchamel sauce and it'll be good.



1/2 lb. macaroni
1/2 c each frozen peas, spinach (drained) and asparagus tips
7-8 cloves of garlic
1 T butter
2 T flour
1 1/2 (ish) c milk
handful of grated parmesean
pinch cayenne
pinch nutmeg
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper

Roast the garlic, smoosh, and set aside. Boil the macaroni according to package directions and set aside (reserve a bit of the pasta water).

Lightly steam the frozen veggies (or put them in the microwave, covered, for a few minutes).

Make a roux with the butter and flour. Allow the flour to cook for a couple minutes, then whisk in the milk, salt, pepper and cayenne. Stir until thick and gravy-fied (this is where the "ish" part of the recipe comes in...measure out 2 c of milk and add what you need until you get the right consistency. If I paid more attention to *actual* measurements during this process I could explain better). Take off heat and add the garlic you roasted earlier. Whisk together and pour mixture (along with reserved pasta water) over macaroni. Give it a stir.

Fold in steamed veggies, add cheese and freshly grated nutmeg. Stir to combine. Taste for seasoning.

Serve with a little extra grated parm on top.

Serves 6-8 as a side dish, or as a main dish for 2 hungry adults, plus enough leftover for lunch the next day, and a few spoonfuls for the dog.