Today, I felt like having a chill day and whipping up something comforting, so I decided to tackle the famous California Pizza Kitchen mac and cheese. I’ve heard people rave about it, and I was curious if I could recreate that magic at home. This whole thing felt like a bit of a mash-up experiment, trying to nail that pizza flavor in a cheesy pasta dish.
First things first, I gathered all my ingredients. I’m talking about a bunch of cheeses – mozzarella, parmesan, you name it. Then there was pasta, some milk, butter, and flour for that creamy sauce. I even grabbed some pizza seasonings to really bring out that pizza vibe. I wanted to see if I could capture that innovative California-style taste they’re famous for at CPK.
I started by cooking the pasta until it was just right, not too mushy. While that was going, I got to work on the sauce. Melted some butter in a pan, whisked in the flour, and slowly added the milk, stirring like crazy to avoid lumps. Once it was smooth and bubbly, I threw in a mountain of cheese. Watching it melt and turn all gooey was pretty satisfying.
After the cheese was all melty and delicious, I mixed in the cooked pasta. Then came the fun part – I sprinkled in those pizza seasonings, a little bit at a time, tasting as I went. It took a few tries, but I finally got that perfect balance of cheesy goodness and pizza flavor. The whole kitchen started to smell amazing, just like a pizzeria.
I dished it out and took a bite. Man, it was good! Creamy, cheesy, with that distinct pizza kick. It felt like a real culinary adventure, pushing my own cooking boundaries, you know? I felt like I was bringing a little piece of that CPK creativity into my own home.
Here’s what I used, in case you wanna give it a shot:
- Pasta (I used elbow macaroni, but whatever you like works)
- Butter
- Flour
- Milk
- Loads of cheese (mozzarella, parmesan, and I even threw in some cheddar)
- Pizza seasoning (oregano, basil, garlic powder – the whole gang)
- Salt and pepper to taste
It was a fun little cooking project for a lazy day. I’m not sure if it’s exactly like the real CPK mac and cheese, but it’s definitely delicious in its own right. Plus, experimenting with the flavors was a blast. Now I’ve got a big bowl of cheesy, pizza-flavored pasta to enjoy. Not bad for a day’s work!
