Cheesy Mexican Penne
By: Susan Keefe
Published: Sunday, October 30, 2011 - 6:35pm

Ingredients




450g dried penne
4 tbsp flour
4 tbsp butter
2 cups half and half
1 ½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
¼ red onion, diced
½ red pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, deseeded and diced
1 Roma tomato, diced
1 ½ tbsp Dijon mustard
4 tbsp habanero salsa
Salt and Pepper to taste
Fresh cilantro

Preparation

1 Place a large pot of water to boil over high heat. 2 Once boiling, salt the water liberally and add pasta. 3 Cook until al dente and drain and rinse the pasta and set aside. 4 While the pasta is cooking, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. 5 Whisk in flour to form a paste. 6 Slowly add half and half, whisking after each addition until sauce is creamy and smooth. 7 Season with salt and pepper and add cheese. 8 Stir mixture until the cheese is completely melted. 9 Reduce heat and add veggies, mustard and salsa. 10 Allow to cook for five minutes until the vegetables are slightly softened. 11 Taste and season accordingly with salt and pepper. 12 Pour sauce over waiting pasta and stir to combine. 13 Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve.

About

This zesty redesign of the childhood classic Macaroni and Cheese is just what you need at the end of a hard day.