We cook macaroni in cream and stock directly in the mixing bowl, no pre-cooking, no extra pot. The starch that usually disappears down the drain with the pasta water stays in the dish and thickens the sauce all by itself.
This recipe has been on our table for years whenever the children come home hungry and we have no desire for two pots and a colander. 25 minutes from an empty kitchen to finished pasta, with everything it needs: mountain cheese, cooked ham, onion, garlic, a splash of white wine and nutmeg. The trick is not in the ingredient list but in two details: the ratio of liquid to pasta and the reverse direction setting, which keeps the macaroni intact in the mixing bowl.
One Pot Cheese, Ham and Cream Pasta (Thermomix®)
Ingredients 0 / 15 ✓
- 80 g mountain cheese (e.g. Bergkäse)
- 1/2 bunch chives
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 onion
- 150 g cooked ham sliced
- 20 g rapeseed oil
- 600 g vegetable stock
- 200 g double cream
- 100 g milk
- 50 g white wine
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 squeeze lemon juice
- 400 g macaroni (elbow pasta)
Instructions 0 / 7
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1
Grate the cheese.
Cut the cheese into pieces, add to the mixing bowl, grate for 5 sec / speed 8 and set aside.
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2
Chop the chives.
Wash the chives, shake dry, add to the mixing bowl, chop for 4 sec / speed 5 and set aside.
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3
Chop the garlic and onion.
Peel the garlic and onion, halve, add to the mixing bowl, chop for 3 sec / speed 5 and push down with the spatula.
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4
Sweat.
Cut the ham into strips, add to the mixing bowl with the oil and cook for 3 min / 120°C (TM31 Varoma) / reverse direction / speed 1.
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5
Add the liquid.
Add the stock, cream, milk, white wine, salt, pepper, nutmeg and lemon juice and bring to the boil for 5 min / 100°C / reverse direction / speed 1.
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6
Cook the pasta.
Add the pasta, mix with the spatula and cook for 8 min / 100°C / reverse direction / speed 1.
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7
Serve.
Stir in the cheese with the spatula, divide among plates, sprinkle with chives and serve immediately.
Tip: If you would rather leave out the cream or white wine, simply replace it with milk. It tastes great that way too.
Nutrition per serving
Why the starch makes all the difference
With classic pasta we drain the cooking water and throw away all the starch that has come out of the pasta. That is exactly what the sauce then lacks, which is why we have to thicken it back up with a roux, cheese or reduced cream. In the one-pot method we do the opposite: 600 g vegetable stock, 200 g double cream, 100 g milk and 50 g white wine make up the liquid in which the 400 g of macaroni cook for 8 minutes at 100°C / reverse direction / speed 1. As the pasta cooks, it releases its starch into the mixture and the sauce thickens automatically. When we stir in the grated mountain cheese at the end, it melts straight into a silky cheese sauce without any need for extra cream.
The ratio is key: 950 g of liquid to 400 g of pasta, roughly 2.4 to 1. More liquid makes the sauce watery; less causes the pasta to stick to the bottom. If you halve or double the recipe, keep this ratio the same and leave the cooking time unchanged, because the macaroni needs about 8 minutes at 100°C regardless of quantity.
Reverse direction is essential, not optional
The mixing bowl drive normally runs in the standard direction and cuts through anything that comes near the blades. Macaroni would be reduced to fine pasta crumbs within 30 seconds. Reverse direction turns the blades the blunt way, so they push rather than cut. The macaroni stay whole and come out after 8 minutes as proper pasta on the plate, not as a paste.
The same rule applies when sweating the ham and onion at the start (3 min / 120°C / reverse direction / speed 1): we want to keep the ham in strips, not turn it into a paste. On the TM31 we use the Varoma setting instead of 120°C, because the older model cannot select that temperature directly.
A logical order of steps
We grate the mountain cheese first (5 sec / speed 8) and set it aside, then chop the chives (4 sec / speed 5) and put them aside too. Only then do the garlic and onion go into the unwashed mixing bowl (3 sec / speed 5), together with the ham and 20 g rapeseed oil for sweating. This order saves rinsing in between, because the flavours build rather than cancel each other out. The cheese has to come out first because it would not be chopped during reverse direction. The chives are just a topping and should stay green.
After sweating, all the liquids and seasonings go into the mixing bowl and come to the boil for 5 minutes at 100°C / reverse direction / speed 1. We add the macaroni only once the stock is actually boiling. If pasta goes into lukewarm liquid, it swells unevenly and goes soft on the outside while still hard in the middle. Stir briefly with the spatula so nothing sticks to the bottom, then cook for 8 minutes on reverse direction.
Why macaroni work better than penne
Many Thermomix® variations use short penne or even cook the pasta in the Varoma rather than directly in the mixing bowl. We deliberately cook the pasta in the mixing bowl because that is the only way the starch passes into the sauce and binds it to a creamy consistency. Macaroni are ideal for this: their curved shape circulates along the base during reverse direction instead of standing upright like penne tubes. This means they cook evenly and do not stick to the sides of the mixing bowl. Penne and fusilli work with the same amount of liquid but need 1 to 2 minutes longer and provide less sauce-binding because their surface is smoother. If you do use penne, reduce the liquid by 50 g, otherwise the sauce will be too thin.
What can go wrong
Sauce too thin after 8 minutes
If the sauce still looks too runny at the end of the cooking time, simply cook for an extra 1 to 2 minutes at 100°C / reverse direction / speed 1. Then add the grated cheese and it will bind the rest. Our approach: Cook for 1 minute longer rather than adding the cheese too early, as it only melts into the right consistency once the sauce has already thickened.
Different pasta, different result
Penne, spirelli or fusilli work with the same ratio but need different timings: penne 9 minutes, spirelli 10 minutes, fusilli 9 minutes. Spaghetti will not work because they are too long and would stick to the sides of the mixing bowl. Our approach: Take half the packet cooking time and add 2 minutes. This works for most short pasta shapes.
Cheese clumps instead of melting
If the mountain cheese forms sticky lumps rather than melting into the sauce, the sauce is either too hot (above 90°C when you stir it in) or the cheese is too low in fat. Mountain cheese with at least 45% fat in dry matter works reliably; lower-fat varieties do not. Our approach: After the 8-minute cooking time, leave the mixing bowl open without the heating function for 30 seconds, then stir in the cheese by hand with the spatula rather than running it on speed 1 again.
Variations we enjoy
With salami instead of ham: Finely diced salami adds more fat and more spice to the sauce. We then reduce the rapeseed oil to 10 g because the salami releases its own fat.
With peas or broccoli: We add 150 g frozen peas or broccoli florets 3 minutes before the pasta finishes cooking. They thaw during reverse direction and are perfectly tender when the pasta is ready.
Without white wine for children: Replace the white wine with an extra 50 g milk and add a little more lemon juice so the acidity is not lost. It tastes just as rounded without the alcohol.
With mushrooms: 200 g sliced mushrooms go into the mixing bowl with the ham for sweating. They release water that needs to evaporate, so we sweat for 5 minutes instead of 3 minutes at 120°C.
Mixing cheeses: Instead of only mountain cheese, we often use 50 g mountain cheese plus 30 g Parmesan. The Parmesan adds umami while the mountain cheese provides the melting quality.
Salad, bread or a glass of white wine
A green side dish rounds the meal off well, as pasta in a cream cheese sauce can feel heavy over time. A simple salad with a vinegar and oil dressing is the quickest option. For something different, our One Pot Pasta with Tomatoes and Mozzarella is the lighter counterpart to this recipe. For a completely different style of pasta, we recommend our Spaghetti Carbonara with the Thermomix®, which uses egg yolk instead of cream, or our homemade pasta with the Thermomix® for when we can justify the extra effort at the weekend.
Keeps for 2 days in the fridge, revived with a splash of milk
Leftovers keep well in a sealed container in the fridge for 2 days. When reheating in the microwave, add a splash of milk because the pasta absorbs more liquid overnight and the sauce will otherwise be too dry. 2 minutes at 600 W, stir once, done.
Freezing works only with reservations. The pasta turns floury when defrosted and the sauce can split. If you do freeze it, keep for no more than 4 weeks at minus 18°C, defrost slowly in the fridge and stir in a little fresh cream when reheating. Freshly cooked is clearly the better option here.
More one-pot ideas and quick family meals can be found in our related recipes:
- One Pot Pasta with Tomatoes and Mozzarella
- Spaghetti Carbonara with the Thermomix®
- Homemade Pasta with the Thermomix®
