Tomatoey Creamy Pasta

    Wow first post and I don't even have any photos. Any way this is a recipe I made up when trying to get rid of a can of tomato paste. The sauce is a cheese based sauce with tomato overtones. There is also a bit of lime, chipotle, and soy sauce to give it a slight South West feeling (well not the soy sauce, that's for umame). Any type of pasta can be used, in this I used penne.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb pasta
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 c milk
• 3/4 c Mexican blend cheese
• 1/4 c Parmesan
• pepper
• 1 tsp chipotle powder
• salt
• soy sauce
• 1/2 a lime

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to directions
2. Melt butter then add flour. Stir until before it turns brown (aprox. 5 mins)
3. Add tomato paste and cook approx. 3 minutes to the paste starts to caramelize
4. Either heat up the milk and add it to the pot or take the pot of the burner, let it cool then add the milk. Either of these methods will prevent clumping.
5. Put the pot back on the burner and whisk until the paste is incorporated
6. Heat the milk mixture until boiling, stirring constantly 
7. Take the mixture off the heat and add the cheese. Stir until it is melted thouroughly.
8. Add all the juice from the half lime, the chipotle powder, salt, pepper, a small amount of soy sauce then adjust to taste.
9. Finally add the pasta and serve :)