I make this for my son, who is very picky, and he always eats it up. It's a very very simplified "Alfredo Sauce." You can make it in the same pot in which you boil the pasta and even serve if from the same, if you wish.
1 lb dried pasta. Any shape works fine. We like bow tie (farfalle) or penne, but the traditional linguine works great too.
2 Tbs flour
2 Tbs butter
1/2 cup half and half or cream
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (more if you want to serve at table too)
salt and pepper to taste.
optional
1-2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 lb cooked chicken cut into cubes
steamed broccoli
green peas
red peppers
cooked shrimp
any left over veg.
Boil your pasta according to package in salted water. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, drain the rest.
In the, now empty, pasta pot melt the butter over medium heat (add garlic at this time if you wish), add flour and stir until combined. simmer the butter and flour for about a minute, stirring constantly.
Slowly add cream, stirring stirring stirring the entire time. Now add milk. Keep stirring, the lumps will dissolve.
Simmer over medium or low heat. Don't boil. As sauce begins to thicken add cheese. Taste and then add salt and pepper.
It's not necessary to make this sauce super thick. Now is the time to add your vegetables or meats if you wish. Put pasta back into pot and quickly mix over low heat or no heat. If the sauce is too thick or the pasta too sticky, add the reserved pasta water a little at a time to smooth it out.
The sauce takes just a few minutes and you can whack it on the table. Try it with just about any leftovers you have in the fridge; squash, cauliflower, peppers, asparagus, string beans and so on. With butter and cream just about anything tastes great! I always have half and half for my coffee in the fridge, so I'm ready to make it at any time. If you don't have cream or half and half you can use milk, the sauce will be a bit less creamy. You can mitigate it by adding some sour cream after the pasta is assembled for a tangy addition.
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