Macaroni & Carrots: a skin boost

Carrots, once the root-all for the eyes, are apparently just the enforcement your skin needs under summer’s rays.

The news even reported that vendors on Italy’s beaches are vending cold crisp carrots to sun bathers in favor of the usual coconuts and watermelons.

Yesterday I whipped up this carrot mac & cheese more because all I could find in my kitchen was carrots and pasta than anything to do with skin. And I needed an easy and appealing dish for a two-and-a-half-year old. In the end, we got our dose of beta-carotene!

When I cook I tend to go by sight and taste. Here’s roughly what I did:

• steam 3 carrots peeled & cut in half moons OR saute leek in olive oil and then braise carrots in it with a little water
• puree the carrots with some of the water from the steaming (could also use the pasta water) use an amount of water to get the consistency you like. I went a bit lumpy.
• Toss the cooked pasta (140g) with the carrot puree and a generous amount of grated Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese.
• If your pasta water is well salted, along with the cheese, you shouldn’t need to add salt.

note: As I had some fresh sage in my kitchen, I put a nice bunch in the steaming water for the carrots

How appetizing is the color! That orange mac & cheese stuff in a box can kiss it!

carrot macaroni & cheese

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