Fusilli Pasta in a Spicy Bechamel Cheese Sauce

Hi all! It doesn't quite feel like spring yet but these springy pastas are a comforting and hearty way to warm up in this abnormally cold weather. Hope you enjoy and feel free to substitute with a vegetable of your choice!

Fusilli Pasta in A Spicy Bechamel Cheese Sauce

Ingredients:

2 cups Fusilli Pasta

4 Cups water - boiling

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 cup broccoli - steamed

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 tablespoons flour

4 cups milk (whole or skim)

Salt ~2 teaspoons

White pepper - a few pinches

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup pepper jack jalapeno cheese

Directions:

1. First off, boil the pasta until desired texture in boiled water with a few drops of olive oil (I say about a teaspoon on the ingredients amount above.)

2. Simultaneously boil the broccoli - make sure to boil it to just before it's done, this way you can allow it some time to cook in with the pasta.

3. Next, get to work on your classic bechamel sauce. Cook the butter and flour together in a sauce pan until yellow and creamy (takes about 6-7 minutes.)

4. Add 4 cups of heated milk to the sauce - one cup at a time. Stirring with each addition.

5. Season the sauce with salt, white pepper and freshly zested nutmeg.

6. Continue to stir until sauce begins to thicken up, then when sauce becomes consistency of buttermilk (think thickened milk or yogurt texture) melt in the jalapeno jack cheese.

7. At this point, the pasta and broccoli should be done so add both to saucepan with bechamel sauce.

8. Taste the pasta and add whatever spices it needs (e.g. more salt, pepper, a little garlic powder etc.)

I love this recipe because it's a more gourmet version of mac and cheese and even incorporates some vegetables into the mix. Hope you try it and love it as much as I did!

Xo & stay dry in the rain,

Organic Eats