Manchego Mac & Cheese with Soyrizo

One of my favorite cheeses of all time is Manchego. It is a Spanish cheese that I think is pretty similar to Swiss Gouda, but much more salty and flavorful (in my opinion). So, when I got my handy Rachael Ray Mag for March, it was a no-brainer that I would make this dish. My only qualm is the chorizo. I haven't had much pork in the last few years and I know that chorizo is made from the most random parts of a pig (salivary glands, etc), so I decided to use soyrizo - a vegetarian alternative. I think it actually turned out a little better since the soyrizo wasn't as chunky and mixed really well throughout the dish. I also didn't have some of the other ingredients the original recipe used, but I think my substitutions worked out just fine! This was a 5/5 star dish for sure and super fast to make!!

(Picture below is from rachaelraymag.com, doesn't look too similar to recipe alterations I made below.)



Manchego Mac & Cheese with Chorizo

based from Rachael Ray recipe

Ingredients

Salt and pepper
1 pound cavatappi (hollow corkscrew) or other short-cut pasta
Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling
full package of Soyrizo (try Frieda's brand)
3 tablespoons butter
3/4 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup whole milk or half-and-half
2 cups shredded manchego cheese
2 cups frozen peas
1/2 cup finely chopped basil


1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.
2. While the pasta is working, in a large skillet, heat a drizzle of EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the soyrizo and cook until crisp, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
3. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the flour, then whisk in the wine. Stir in the chicken broth and milk and cook until thickened; season with pepper. Stir in the cheese. Fold in the peas and basil.
4. Drain the pasta, toss with the sauce and top with the soyrizo.