Pasta is pasta, right? Most boxed, dry pastas are pretty self-explanatory. You boil some water, throw the pasta in until it’s cooked al dente, and then mix with your favorite sauce. Aldi’s Reggano Elbow Macaroni is no different. What makes this pasta special is the recipe on the back of the box. It makes the BEST homemade baked macaroni and cheese. I frequently make it for my family, and I also take it to friends who have just had babies.
More on the recipe in a bit …
The Reggano Elbow Macaroni is made from 100% Durum Semolina and is low fat, sodium free, lactose free, and cholesterol free. It contains no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. It comes in a 32-ounce box. One 1/2 cup serving will net you 200 calories (and that’s before any additions like sauce).
To prepare the pasta, boil water (4 quarts for 16 ounces of pasta). Add salt to taste. Add pasta; wait for water to return to a boil. Stir frequently. Cook until al dente (firm to the bite), approximately 9-11 minutes. Remove from heat and drain. Serve immediately with your favorite Reggano sauce. Also, 16 ounces of pasta serves 8 people.
Now, on to the hidden gem recipe on the back of the elbow macaroni box.
(Click to enlarge.)
Easy Baked Mac & Cheese
Ingredients:
8 ounces uncooked Reggano Elbow Macaroni
4 Tbsp. butter
4 Tbsp. flour
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp. salt
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (mild or sharp)
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Directions:
Prepare pasta as directed on package. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add flour mixed with salt and pepper, using a whisk to stir until blended. Pour milk in gradually, stirring constantly. Bring to a boiling point and boil for 2 minutes (stirring constantly). Reduce heat and cook (stirring constantly) for 10 minutes. Gradually add shredded cheddar cheese and simmer an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese melts. Turn off flame. Add macaroni to the saucepan and toss to coat with the cheese sauce. Transfer macaroni to nonstick-sprayed baking dish and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake 20 minutes until top is golden brown.
Makes 4 (large) servings.
Thoughts:
This baked macaroni and cheese recipe is comfort food at its finest. It’s also not terribly complicated. You make a basic roux (a mixture including flour, butter, and milk), add the cheese, add the cooked macaroni, sprinkle on some breadcrumbs, and bake it.
It takes longer to make this than it does to make a box of Kraft mac and cheese, but if you have some time, it is worth it. This is a great dish for your family, for a potluck, or for friends recovering from surgery. When I sent it along with a chicken dish to a family that recently had twins, they talked about how great it tasted and were surprised to learn the recipe came off the back of the Aldi pasta box. This mac and cheese is that good.
The Verdict:
Aldi’s Reggano Elbow Macaroni is your basic boxed pasta. Where it really shines is when you make the Baked Mac & Cheese recipe on the back of the box. It is the ultimate comfort food. Highly recommended.
Any melting in the pot of cheese and adding flour to the mix is a thumbs down for me! Ugh! More carbs not needed😂
Buy some 16oz (at least!! block of real cheese, shred it up while you al dente cook the full box of elbows. Please cook in a very large pot filled To within 1.5-2” of top with nicely salted water👍🏻 In 4 cup measuring cup beat 2-3 xlg eggs, then fill close to brim with near room temp milk, 1-2 TBS OF parsley or Greek oregano and give it all a few tosses with the fork to mix. If you’re feeding “I don’t like those green things people” leave them out😂After draining pasta, put 2 TBS butter in bottom of pan to coat it, return half of well drained pasta, add 2-3 TBS more of butter and toss thru to coat elbows. You should add white or black pepper and more salt to taste at this point. Choose a deep thick walled 8×10 or 10×12 baking dish (Glass is best for viewing) or substitute your large Pyrex mixing bowl, the old school type😊 Or oval brown enamel baking dish!! Coat the sides REALLY well with butter. Pour about 1/3 of elbows in, sprinkle 1/3 of shredded cheese and repeat again and then again. Pour entire 4 cups of egg/milk mix over this starting at edges and moving inward. Unless somethings off, you should see the liquid just peek up below surface, if not poke it around some, possibly add a smidge more milk. Sprinkle seasoned bread crumbs (a brand known for crisping well) Cover with nonstick foil or spray with “the spray” not super tight.
Bake on cookie sheet for possible spillage in preheated 350-375 oven for 30 minutes; observe sides for golden browning if you were able to use glass, lift foil and look for bubbling to be working it’s way to center!! Leave foil off to facilitate the top crisping process but you can replace it if need be.
Depending on what you’ve chosen to bake it in and your oven type and if the elbows are smooth or have to lines on them🤔, this could take up to 1 hr or even a little more.
In my younger years, sometimes Mom put bacon slices on the top, which made it super decadent!
We would have a bowl of stewed tomatoes for our veggie😊 Other times, this came along with a canned ham and a green vegetable or salad.
It was put together ahead of time and we were tasked with pouring the egg/milk mix over it and putting it in the oven at the time she instructed us to. We graduated in stages to being able to do it all by ourselves.
My daughter has made this the way I love it, but I believe she now first mixes on the stovetop as you do. I had hers recently and it was amazingly creamy and well blended👍🏻 My version is definitely not that!! But I love it just the same…it’s tradition🥰