Stovetop macaroni and cheese with a Mornay sauce

Boil the macaroni in salted water and drain it.

In the same pot cook two teaspoons of butter with two teaspoons of flour just until the flour no longer smells raw, a couple of moments.

Add the cold milk all at once to the hot roux and whisk until the lumps disappear. Cold milk into hot roux breaks the lumps up before they can gelatinize.

Season with a pinch of salt and plenty of grinds of black pepper.

Off the heat, whisk in the Parmesan until it forms a creamy sauce.

Stir in the drained pasta, thinning with a splash of milk until as creamy as wanted.

Once the cheese is in, keep the pan off the heat or on very low heat so the sauce does not curdle.

Variation: make it with a mix of Parmesan and a really sharp white cheddar.