Romanian Mac and Cheese

5 from 2 votes

This classic Romanian mac and cheese recipe uses only three ingredients and is made in a skillet. You can serve it with sugar.

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Romanian

Servings: servings

Calories: 453kcal

Author: Adina

Ingredients

1 lb elbow macaroni or other short pasta shapes, 500 g
10.5 oz feta cheese or Romanian telemea, 300 g, Note
2 tablespoons vegetable oil not olive oil
sugar optional to serve

Instructions

Cook macaroni: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a large pinch of salt and the pasta. Cook according to the packet's instructions. Drain.
1 lb elbow macaroni/ 500 g
Cheese: In the meantime, grate or crumble the cheese.
10.5 oz feta cheese / 300 g
Cook mac and cheese: Heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet or another large pan. Add the noodles and the cheese to the pan and mix very well. Add some salt if the feta you use is not very salty or if you use another kind of cheese.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Fry the macaroni and cheese until crispy golden brown spots start to appear here and there. Stir often. Stop when the cheese is melted, and you think that the macaroni has enough golden brown spots, about 10 minutes.
Serve immediately, either plain or sprinkled with sugar. Try the sugar version on a smaller portion to see if you like it. If you do (which you probably will), add more.

Notes

Cheese: Instead of feta or Romanian telemea, you could use almost any other kind of cheese; I have repeatedly made this dish with Gouda or Cheddar as well. Sometimes, I also mix different kinds of cheese rests that I can find in the fridge.

Nutrition