In one corner – leading the revolt of the antimoderate movement – is me. And in the other is balance staring me in the face.
I’m not talking about politics, so don’t get your pretzels in a knot. (Meanwhile if you need a pretzel recipe – here’s a mean one.)
I excel at excessivity. Not sure that’s a word. Don’t really care. The point (like me) is obstinate. And likewise, I’m adept at abstinence. Black or white. The haphazard struggle belies in all the places in between: the grey, if you will. This place where constraint and equilibrium sing kumbaya in the company of like minded dullness.
I don’t like that playground.
Extreme on both ends, but once in the middle, I fumble, forget, feel unlike myself, unsure of the rules. Who is the ruler in this formidable field of stability?
Do you ever find yourself in this conundrum? Are you tightly clinging to the goal posts? Or are you safely coddled and huddled like a penguin chic, cemented in the middle, spared from the outside elements?
I’d like to get outside this comfort zone, but somewhere between 0 and 100 I’m lost in the sea of normal. The normalcy.
(See what I did there?)
Can’t do it. Spare me the “everything in moderation” spiel. I’ll take just the everything.
Speaking of which: this.
Takes 25 min; Satisfies, extremely
Ingredients for the best Mac and Cheese of your life
- 1 box elbow noodles
- 2 cups medium sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 cup full fat mozzarella, grated
- 1/3 of an 8oz tub mascarpone cheese
- 8 cloves garlic, roasted
- 2 scallions, diced
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water (after you cook the noodles)
- 1 tbsp white truffle oil
- 2 tbsp Locatelli Pecorino, grated
- Good olive oil, salt and black pepper
Method
Ahead of time, cut the top off a whole head of garlic. Drizzle with EVOO and wrap in foil. Place in the oven at 450F for 40 min. Once done, remove and once cooled ooze out your 8 cloves.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season liberally with salt (about 3 tbsp).
Once at a boil add the noodles and cook according to package instructions.
While the noodles are cooking, grate all your cheeses. Once the pasta is done, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water. Drain the pasta and add the noodles back into the hot pot.
Add the cheddar, mozz and mascarpone. This will be cheesy and sticky, so add some of that pasta water to thin it out as you are stirring to make it a homogenous sauce.
Add truffle oil and garlic, then mix. Taste and adjust your salt seasoning.
Plate and garnish with Locatelli, pepper and scallions.
In the market for more mind blowing pasta recipes? How about Carbonara with Meyer Lemon and Pancetta? Or try Tagliatelle with Sun Dried Tomato Pesto, Hazelnuts and Burrata. Or maybe Humboldt Fog and Pear Risotto with Chardonnay Chicken…Or Personal Sized Pastitsio…Happy pasta-ing:)
