Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 12 oz pasta noodles
- 6 TBSP butter
- 4 TBSP flour
- 4 cups half and half
- 3 cups gouda, shredded
- 1 cup sharp cheddar, shredded
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp paprika
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring water to a boil.
- Add in the pasta and stir. Continue stirring occasionally to prevent the noodles from sticking together.
- While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter on low heat in another large pot. Once the butter is fully melted, add the flour and whisk for one minute.
- Increase the temperature of the butter mixture to low-medium heat and slowly add in half and half.
- Stirring constantly, bring the roux to a simmer, and allow it to thicken (about three minutes).
- Remove the roux from the heat and slowly add in the cheese, about a cup at a time. Whisk while adding the cheese and allow it to fully melt before adding additional cheese.
- When the pasta is al dente, remove from heat and drain well.
- Once the pasta has been drained, and the cheese sauce has melted, add the pasta to the cheese mixture. Stir well and season with the spices.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Pasta noodles such as penne, rigatoni, or rotini have nooks and crannies that hold all the cheesy goodness.
- You can substitute milk for the half and half.
- You can substitute extra Gouda in place of the cheddar cheese.
- Freshly shredded cheese melts far better than pre-shredded due to the anti-clumping ingredient. I use my food processor for easy shredding.
- Category: Side Dishes
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
