Why it works: Butter and cheese are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 7,962 recipes. Both carry delta-dodecalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓
Macaroni with Cheese
Ingredients
Directions
Break the macaroni into short pieces and cook in hot salted water until tender.
Stir in 1 tablespoon of butter when nearly done.
Drain the macaroni and stir in 2 tablespoons of grated cheese, salt, and a little cayenne.
Stir over the heat until the cheese melts.
Add 1 tablespoon of butter and serve.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Butter + cheesetop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,962 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Cheese + peppertop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,861 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Butter + peppertop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together85,593 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Macaroni
- Forms the bulk of the dish and gives it its body when cooked until tender.
- Butter
- Adds fat for a smooth, rich mouthfeel and helps the cheese blend silkily.
- Grated cheese
- Melts into the hot pasta to create the creamy, savory coating.
The step that matters
Stir over the heat until the cheese melts. Cheese proteins tighten and turn grainy or oily if overheated, so melt it gently over low heat, stirring until smooth.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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