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6 tablespoons butter

1 shallot, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced (optional)

6 tablespoons all-purpose unbleached flour

3 cups milk

2 cups lightly packed grated sharp cheddar cheese (8 ounces)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup dried breadcrumbs

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a large casserole dish.

2 Bring two large pots of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni to one pot and cook until al dente. Drain well. Transfer to the casserole dish.

3 In the second pot of boiling water, cook the vegetables until fork-tender, about 10 minutes; the vegetables should still hold their shape. Drain well. Transfer to the casserole dish.

4 To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic, if using, and sauté until limp, about 3 minutes. Stir in the flour to form a smooth paste. Stir in the milk and bring to a boil, stirring to prevent lumps. When the sauce thickens, add the cheese, stirring until melted. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.

5 Stir the sauce into the macaroni and vegetables. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top.

6 Bake for about 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and the breadcrumbs are browned. Serve hot.

Kitchen Note: You can vary the vegetables as you please. A sliced leek or one-quarter of a yellow onion can replace the shallot. If you have only carrots on hand, you can simply grate a couple of them and add them to the cheese sauce with the milk. Or you can add 2 cups shredded root vegetables (any type) to the cheese sauce and add 2 cups frozen vegetables (any type) to the pasta, 1 to 3 minutes before the pasta will be done.

Shredded Root-Vegetable Linguine

Serves 4

Shredded root vegetables cook very quickly, so the sauce for this pasta is made in the time it takes to heat the water. If you include golden beets in your root vegetable mix, the dish turns a lovely saffron color; with red beets, everything is dyed pink — startling but delicious nonetheless.

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 cups peeled and shredded mixed root vegetables (beets, carrots, celery root, parsnips, rutabagas, salsify, and/or turnips)

1 leek, trimmed and thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup vegetable broth or chicken broth (pages 126–27)

½ cup dry white wine

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound linguine

4 tablespoons butter, diced

1 Begin heating a large pot of salted water to a boil for the linguine.

2 Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the root vegetables, leek, and garlic, and sauté until the vegetables are limp, about 8 minutes. Add the broth and wine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to keep warm and season with salt and pepper.

3 Cook the linguine in the boiling water until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water, and then drain.

4 Toss the linguine with the butter until well coated and transfer to a serving dish. Add the vegetable mixture and toss to combine, adding some of the reserved cooking water if the mixture appears dry. Serve at once.

Variation: Root Vegetable Scampi over Linguine

Add 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp with the broth and wine in step 2.

Fettuccine with caramelized cabbage, White Beans, and Goat cheese

Serves 6

A medley of intriguing flavors blend in this quickly made one-dish vegetarian meal. The goat cheese melts and makes a simple but exquisite sauce.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small head green or savoy cabbage, thinly sliced (6–8 cups)

1 onion, thinly sliced

1½ cups cooked white beans, or 1 (15-ounce) can, rinsed and drained

1/3 cup dry white wine

1 teaspoon dried sage or thyme

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound fettuccine or pappardelle noodles

2 garlic cloves, minced

8 ounces soft fresh goat cheese (chèvre), crumbled

1 Begin heating a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.

2 Heat