I am still jetlagged from my trip back home and cooking is not exactly the thing on my mind when I can hardly stay awake. The gloomy skies and cold wind is not helping me keep awake either. *sigh* But I still have to feed the kids and hubby and of course myself right? So I’d suggest this for others who understand my state of being now and for those who intend to suffer from jetlag soon or later.

This was a post I intended to upload 2 weeks ago but since my computer was not feeling up to loading images onto my site, it took me that long to figure out what was wrong with it! Tsk…so if you’ve been seeing the black glutinous rice dessert for ages, my apologies. Bah!

Ingredients: (serves 3 or 4)

Penne - enough for 4 - prepared according to package instructions
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp plain flour
1 cup fresh milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt to taste
white pepper to taste
2 beef sausages - diced
some cherry tomatoes - halved
some sliced button mushrooms (optional)

Method:

1. Boil the penne according to package instrcutions till al dente. Set aside.
2. In a saucepan, melt butter. Do not brown.
3. Add the flour and use a whisk to combine with the butter. Whisk over low heat for about 3 minutes.
4. Add the milk slowly, whisking all the time. Increase the heat to medium heat.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Continue stirring until the mixture starts to thickens to the consistency of your preference.
7. Turn off the heat. Add the cheese and stir briskly until completely melted and combined well in the sauce.
8. In a shallow pan, heat the pan without oil. Put the diced sausages in the pan and fry till slightly golden and almost crispy. Add the mushrooms and saute till cooked.
9. Spoon the sauce on the penne, top with the diced sausage and tomatoes. Serve hot.

Tips:

• Cooking the flour/butter mixture on low heat for a few minutes will help to remove the raw ‘flour’ taste.
• Using a whisk will prevent lumps from forming. And in case you forget to whisk constantly, it’ll be easy to remove lumps if it starts to curd.
• You can prepare the sausage while the sauce is thickening to save time.
• You can substitute the penne for macaroni or other pasta of your choice.
• The flavor from the cherry tomatoes goes really well with this basic recipe.
• Instead of the sausage, you could add pre-cooked/leftover prawns/fish