A weeknight version of mac and cheese that leans on good shredded cheese and a quick roux to make a sauce that clings to pasta. The colby-jack brings its mild, buttery character without needing much else. Cook the pasta while you make the sauce and you are eating in twenty minutes.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 900 calories a serving, 42 g protein, 105 g carbohydrate, 34 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add 6 ounces of pasta, cooking until just tender, about nine minutes. While the pasta cooks, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. Whisk 1 1/2 tablespoons of flour into the butter until no lumps remain, about one minute, then pour in 1 1/4 cups of whole milk while whisking constantly to keep the mixture smooth.
3. Keep whisking until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about four minutes. When the sauce is thick enough, remove from heat and stir in 1 1/2 cups of shredded colby-jack until melted and smooth.4 min
4. Season the cheese sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Drain the pasta and fold it into the sauce until every strand is coated, then divide between two bowls and serve at once.

Note Swap colby-jack for any mild melting cheese you have. Leftovers keep three days in the fridge and reheat gently in a small pot with a splash of milk stirred in. Serve with a side salad or steamed broccoli to round the plate.