FLORENTINE MAC & CHEESE

Finally the weekend is here...yahoo!!! , I have been waiting for it so eagerly. Last 2 weeks were super hectic , double shifts in office are a serious NO NO but at times we are so helpless. I missed out a lot of things due to this -- cooking , post on my blog , checking out my favorite blogs , watching TV even missed out on Supernaturals and above all SLEEP :) . I have a huge list of tasks to be done in the weekend -- get all the electrical fixings done , shopping , cooking , blogging and catching up with all of my fav. TV shows. Lets see how many can be checked off by Sunday night :) . All I wanted today was relaxation , and I wanted some type of "comfort food" -- heard a lot about comfort food not sure what it means as I find every food to be very comforting. So I did a bit of research and found of long list of food in that category or as explained by Wikipedia - easy-to-eat, easy-to-digest meal rich in calories, nutrients or both. However my eyes twinkled when I saw Mac & Cheese....who needs an excuse for that :) . My love for pasta is no secret but off late I have been trying out the lighter versions without cheese so today I was up for some indulgence. I baked the dish as I love those crunchy bites of cheese, then it looked very pale and I wanted some color in my plate thats when Cherry Tomatoes and Spinach came into picture. So I call my variation -- Florentine Mac & Cheese.

FOR MAC & CHEESE
Conchiglie pasta	2 cups
Milk	1 cup
Fresh Cream	1 cup
Flour	2 tablespoon
Worcestershire sauce	3-4 drops
Nutmeg (grated)	1 teaspoons
Mozzarella Cheese	1 cup
Cheddar cheese	1 cup
Butter	1 tablespoon
Salt	As per taste
Black Pepper	1/4 teaspoon

FOR GARLIC SPINACH
Garlic cloves(grated)	2 numbers
Spinach	2 bunches
Butter	1 teaspoon
Salt	As per taste

FOR TOMATO
Cherry Tomatoes	12 numbers
Butter	2 teaspoons
Salt	As per taste

    Mac & Cheese:-

1. Preheat oven to 180° for 10 min.
2. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add flour to the melted butter ; cook for 1 minute stirring constantly.
3. Add milk to the pan and whisk so that no lumps are formed.
4. Add cream & worcestershire to the milk mixture and keep whisking till the sauce slightly thickens.
5. To the cooking sauce , add 1/2 cup of cheddar and mozzarella cheese each. Whisk till the cheeses melt.
6. Add grated nutmeg , salt and black pepper to the sauce. Remove from flame and set aside.
7. Boil water in a large pan and add the pasta with salt and a bit of oil. And let it cook till the pasta soften. 
8. Drain out the pasta and let it run under cold water for a min. 
9. Add the pasta to the sauce and mix well. Pour the prepared pasta on a baking dish.
10. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top of the pasta dish and bake for 30-35 min or till the top is browned and cheese is bubbling.

    GARLIC SPINACH & CHERRY TOMATOES:-

1. Heat butter in a pan , add grated garlic and fry.
2. Add the spinach to the pan , sprinkle salt and let it cook in low flame.
3. Fry till the water is evaporated and the spinach is done. Remove and set aside.
4. Cut the cherry tomatoes into halves.
5. Melt butter in a pan , add the tomatoes to the pan skin side down.
6. Sprinkle the salt on the top side. Cook for 5-6 min only and done.

A comfortable meal after all the hectic work was totally refreshing :) .