Fettuccine with Cheese Sauce

Ingredients

• 8 ounces packaged fettuccine, linguine, or egg noodles
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon margarine or butter
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon instant chicken bouillon granules
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups shredded process Swiss, Gruyère, or American cheese (6 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons snipped parsley
• Freshly ground pepper

Instructions

1. Cook fettuccine according to package directions (or see chart, page 278). Drain; keep warm.
2. For cheese sauce, in a saucepan cook onion and garlic in margarine till tender. Stir in flour, bouillon granules, and the 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 minute more.
3. Stir in cheese. Cook and stir till cheese melts.
4. Stir in parsley. If cheese sauce is too thick, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons additional milk.
5. Serve cheese sauce over hot cooked pasta. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper.
6. Microwave directions: Cook fettuccine as above. For cheese sauce, in a 4-cup measure micro-cook onion, garlic, and margarine or butter on 100% power (high) for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or till onion is tender. Stir in flour, bouillon granules and the 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add milk. Stir to combine. Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes or till thickened and bubbly, stirring every minute till the sauce starts to thicken, then every 30 seconds. Cook for 30 seconds more. Add cheese; stir till melted. If necessary, cook on high for 1 to 30 seconds or till cheese melts. Serve as above.