Teaching Michael Mondays (1/25) -- The Roux Suggestion

Last week, I got a call from Michael asking advice on how to make a pasta dish -- as he was trying a new tactic in cooking and making up his own recipe based on what ingredients fit together.

I applauded him, and asked what he had in mind: Pasta with broccoli, peppers, and sweet potato in a jarred marinara sauce.

I'm sorry -- what?

To his credit, our mom often makes a take on pasta primavera using roasted butternut squash cubes. However, while sweet potatoes and butternut squash may be the same color, they are not always interchangeable because they break down differently. (The same goes for broccoli and cauliflower, by the way). I also tend not to see the point of carb on carb dishes

In addition, I advised against the sweet potato/marinara combo. There's an open invitation for someone to prove me wrong, but I just don't see those flavors meshing really well.

Michael has been doing a LOT better with his cooking lately, and has successfully made a roux -- so I challenged him to do a recipe revision with cream sauce using ingredients he already had on hand.

My revisions: Pasta with sauteed onions, broccoli, peas in a creamy white cheddar Parmesan sauce.

I received the following text review from Michael

Sauteed onions, broccoli, peas in skillet with thyme, nutmeg, garlic powder. Made roux from Milk, butter, flour, parm, block white cheddar (I knew to cut it up tiny to melt and prevent clumping), and nutmeg. Mixed in large bowl with pasta, veg. Proportions were better this time [Steph interjection -- HE CAN BE TAUGHT]; had plenty of broccoli per serving of pasta. Main problem: insufficient spice, in part due to inexperience with tastes (which spices go together?), in part due to cooking for someone besides me.

Not a problem, Michael -- we can cover mixing spices in the following weeks.

Overall, I think it sounded like a serious kitchen success! My only critiques would have been to add salt and pepper with the veggie saute (that'll help balance your seasonings, dear) --- and that adding nutmeg into the veggie saute was an interesting choice. Nutmeg is a fantastic addition in bechamel sauces (i.e., one of the French 'mother sauces' -- and the basis for your standard cheese sauce). I've also seen nutmeg added to sauteed greens.

Glad it worked out!!