Cooking Instructions

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions, but cook for 1 minute less than the package suggests. Save 1 cup of starchy pasta water, drain the pasta, and then rinse with cool water to stop cooking. Set aside.
• Warm the milk in a small saucepan, turn off the heat, cover with a lid, and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter and whisk it in (it will be thick). Continue to whisk until it smells toasted and looks light brown, about 1 to 2 minutes.
• While whisking, pour in a third of the warm milk. Whisk until smooth, then whisk in another third until smooth, and finally whisk in the rest. Cook while constantly whisking until the sauce begins to simmer and thickens, about 1 minute.
• Season the sauce with ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, nutmeg (optional), and mustard powder (optional).
• Turn the heat to low, then stir in the cream cheese. When mostly melted, add the shredded cheese a handful at a time until it melts into the sauce. Taste and season with more salt and black pepper as needed.
• Stir in the drained and rinsed pasta. It may look like there is too much sauce, but the pasta absorbs moisture as it sits. Take the pot off the heat, cover with a lid, and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving. If too thick, add a splash of reserved pasta water.