Cheesy Herb Pasta
Welcome to your adult version of macaroni and cheese – Cheesy Herb Pasta. What goes together better than cheese and carbs?? Yea, I don’t know either! I use Parmesan, white cheddar, havarti, goat and blue cheese for a mix of flavors. If you stick to the portion increments you can pick the cheeses you like best. Think of this dish as a hybrid between white cheddar macaroni and cheese and Alfredo
I like to add sauteed zucchini and mushrooms at the end for a balance to the richness. They are filing so I don’t splurge on just a cheesy, carbalicious plate of pasta. Buuuuuut, you can skip them and indulge. Substitute your favorite vegetables or stir in grilled chicken. Top it with herbs for a fresh flavor and your dinner will look restaurant style without that much work.
Cheesy Herb Pasta Recipe
Makes 2 servings.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/2 white cheddar cheese, grated
- 1/4 cup of soft cheese – goat cheese, havarti, fontina, etc.
- 1 Tbsp blue cheese (optional)
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
- 1 tsp fresh dill, minced (optional)
- 2 servings linguine or angel hair pasta (about 1/4 of a box) (2-ounces is a serving, but I just eye ball.)
- 1 cup pasta water
- 2 Tbsp heavy cream
- 3/4 cup 2% milk
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1/8 tsp kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Optional
- 1 large portabella mushrooms or about 6 baby portabellas mushrooms
- 1 zucchini, halved and quartered
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Drizzle of olive oil
Directions
Prepare the Ingredients
- Grate the parmesan and white cheddar cheese into about 1/2 cup each. You can use a hand grater, food processor or chop the cheese with a knife into small pieces.
- Remove the parsley leaves from the stems and mince into 2 Tbsp.
- Mince the dill into 1 tsp. If you are not a dill fan, or don’t have it you can skip it.
- Optional:
- Cut the end from the zucchini and cut it lengthwise. Set the cut side down, and slice into 1/2-inch quarters.
- Wash the mushroom(s). Roughly chop them into bite size pieces.
- Peel and mince 1 garlic clove.
Start Cooking
- Fill a medium size saucepan half way with water and bring to a boil. Cook the pasta until al-dente. You want the pasta slightly under cooked because it will cook longer in the cheese sauce. Before you drain the pasta, scoop out 1 cup of the pasta water and set aside.
- Optional:
- While the pasta cooks, in a skillet heat a drizzle of olive oil.
- Add the garlic, mushrooms, zucchini and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes until the mushrooms and zucchini are softened. Remove them from the heat and set aside.
- Place the sauce pan you cooked the noodles in back on the stove over medium heat (don’t add the noodles yet). Add 3/4 cup of 2% milk, 1/4 cup whole milk and 2 Tbsp heavy cream and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the grated parmesan, white cheddar, 1/4 cup of soft cheese and 1 Tbsp blue cheese (if using). Stir with a whisk or fork until all of the cheese has melted and the sauce begins to thicken.
- Add 1/8 tsp kosher salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper.
- Add the pasta and cook on low about 1-2 more minutes.
- Add pasta water in increments of 1 Tbsp at a time if the sauce gets too thick. You want it to be creamy.
- Optional – Stir in the zucchini and mushrooms.
- Serve with the parsley and dill.
The fresh herbs are a great balance to the rich cheese. If you are not a fan of dill or don’t have access to fresh dill you can leave it out. Either substitute with another fresh herb or serve with only parsley.
There is a lot of flexibility in the type of cheese that you use, but you do want to pick something with distinct flavors. I like the saltiness of the Parmesan and the sharpness of the white cheddar. Havarti is silky as it melts into the sauce and the goat cheese adds a creamy pungent taste. I like to add just a little bit of blue cheese to balance the creaminess, but if you aren’t a fan it tastes great without it.
For the milk, I prefer a mix of 2% and whole milk so it’s not too heavy. You can play around with the adjustments for a flavor that you like best. The small amount of heavy cream adds a nice amount of creamy flavor.
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