CREAMY, CHEESY SPAGHETTI

• servings: SERVES: 2
• active time: 12 minutes
• total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

2 tsp salt*, for cooking the pasta

200 g spaghetti, or any other pasta of choice

CHEESY SAUCE

30 g unsalted butter

2 garlic cloves*, finely minced

1½ tbsp flour*

250 ml (1 cup) milk, preferably full-fat

125 g (1¼ cups) grated* cheddar cheese or other cheese of choice'

¼ tsp salt*

¼ tsp black pepper

TO SERVE

Freshly grated parmesan*

1 tsp finely chopped parsley (optional)

Directions

Cook pasta - Bring a large saucepan* or small pot* of water to the boil with the 2 teaspoons of salt. Cook the pasta according to the packet directions. Just before draining, scoop out 250 ml (1 cup) of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta in a colander.

Sauce - While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large saucepan* over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the flour and stir for 1 minute. Switch to a whisk. While whisking, slowly pour in about half the milk, then whisk until thickened and lump-free (it will thicken fairly quickly). Pour in the remaining milk and whisk to combine. Cook for 3 minutes, whisking every now and then, until the sauce starts to thicken, which will happen as the milk heats up. Whisk more frequently as the sauce thickens. Thicken sauce - Once the sauce is the thickness of pouring cream and coats the back of a spoon, add the cheese, salt and pepper. Stir with the wooden spoon until the cheese melts - this will further thicken the sauce.

Toss - Add the pasta and 80 ml (⅓ cup) of the reserved pasta cooking water.? Toss for 30 seconds or until the pasta is coated in the sauce - use the extra reserved pasta cooking water to loosen if needed.

Serve - Divide between warmed pasta bowls. Sprinkle with parmesan and parsley (if using) and serve immediately!

Notes

Any melting cheese will work here. I always seem to have cheddar these days, which is an excellent all-rounder. Store-bought grated cheese is not recommended as it has anti-caking agents that may cause the sauce to be grainy.

The starch in the pasta cooking water will thicken the cheese sauce slightly and make it cling to the pasta strands instead of remaining in a watery pool at the bottom of the saucepan.

LEFTOVERS The sauce (before tossing with pasta) will keep for 3 days in the fridge, or 3 months in the freezer. Once the cheese sauce is tossed with the pasta, it is best eaten fresh, though leftovers will keep for 3 days in the fridge. Not suitable for freezing.