White Sauce Pasta

Science fair season, which at Scotlandville Magnet means it is time to start thinking about a project, which in my case means I have already been thinking about a project since August. I want to do something at the intersection of chemistry and food. MawMaw Shirley's roux is the obvious choice — the Maillard reaction, the browning of flour and fat, the science behind why a dark roux tastes different from a light one. I told my chemistry teacher and she looked at me for a moment and then said that is actually a very solid hypothesis for an eighth-grade science fair project. I am choosing to take that as high praise.

I went to MawMaw Shirley's on Saturday and told her about the project. She stood very still while I explained what I was proposing to study about her roux. Then she said she had been making that roux for fifty years and she did not need science to tell her what it did, she knew what it did because she could smell it. I said that was exactly what I wanted to study — how the smell changes as the roux darkens, and what the chemistry behind that change is. She was quiet for a moment and then she said all right, baby, but do not blame me if the science gets it wrong.

We made a roux together that afternoon and I took notes at every stage — the smell, the color, the temperature I was guessing based on how the mixture moved. MawMaw made her comments in real time. She is not a scientist but she is a rigorous empiricist, which is basically the same thing with different vocabulary. The roux was perfect, as always. The data was useful. The afternoon was everything.

Mama made red beans Friday. The house smelled like itself again. That is the best way I know how to say it.

After that Saturday in MawMaw’s kitchen — taking notes on temperature and smell and the way a roux moves in the pan — I wanted to make something myself that started in the same place: butter, flour, and heat. White sauce pasta is built entirely on a roux, which means every time I make it I’m running a quieter version of the same experiment. The science is right there in the pan, and now I actually know what to look for.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

12 oz fettuccine, linguine, or penne
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk, warmed
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water. Drain and set aside.
Build the roux. In a wide skillet or saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter until foamy. Add the flour all at once and whisk continuously for 1 to 2 minutes, until the mixture smells faintly nutty and turns a pale, creamy gold — this is your roux. Do not rush this step; cooking out the raw flour flavor is the whole point.
Add the milk. Reduce heat to medium-low. Pour in the warmed milk gradually, whisking constantly after each addition to prevent lumps. Once all the milk is incorporated, add the heavy cream and minced garlic. Continue whisking and cooking for 4 to 5 minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Finish the sauce. Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan and nutmeg. Season generously with salt and black pepper. If the sauce feels too thick, whisk in a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen it.
Combine. Add the drained pasta directly to the sauce and toss well to coat every strand. Return to low heat for 1 minute, tossing, until the pasta is glossy and the sauce clings.
Serve. Divide among bowls, top with additional Parmesan and fresh parsley, and serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

White Sauce Pasta — The Roux That Brought It All Together