CREAMY WEEKNIGHT MACARONI AND CHEESE

INGREDIENTS:

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 25 minutes

1 pound elbows, shells, cavatappi, farfalle, fusilli or other short, tube-shaped pasta

Kosher salt

2 cups whole milk

8 ounces cream cheese, cut into 1-inch pieces

12 ounces sharp or white cheddar, grated

3 tbsp unsalted butter

Freshly ground pepper

PREPARATION:

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water until just barely al dente; drain.

2. Meanwhile, bring milk up to a simmer in a large pot. (The pot should be large enough to hold all the pasta when cooked.) Reduce heat to low, add cream cheese, and whisk until it’s completely blended and no lumps remain. Add cheddar cheese and butter, whisking until everything is completely melted. Season with salt and a generous amount of pepper.

3. Add cooked pasta and stir to coat. Continue to cook over medium-low heat until the sauce has thickened and is coating each piece of pasta nicely, 2 to 3 minutes; sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. Season again with more salt and pepper before serving.

AND TO DRINK ...

With either of these recipes, the best wine will be a bright, incisive white that offers a lively contrast to the rich creaminess of the dish. I think first of Chablis, the singular chardonnay from the northernmost part of Burgundy. Restrained chardonnays from the United States and the Mâcon region of Burgundy will do as well. A good aligoté, with its resounding zest, would be delicious, as would Sancerre and other sauvignon blancs on the herbal, mineral end of the spectrum. You might consider Italian whites, like carricantes from Mount Etna on Sicily, fianos from Campania, and good versions of Orvieto or verdicchio. How about a sparkling wine? Champagne would be great, as would good sparkling Vouvrays and other chenin blancs. Or a sparkling red, like a dry, earthy Lambrusco.