Almost Kinda Sorta Mac-n-Cheese. Maybe.

This is mac-n-cheese, sort of, but just barely.  It’s more like high-end buttered noodles.  It’s creamy and rich without being cheesy.  It’s doable in about 10 minutes. 

You could easily pour the finished macaroni into a baking dish, sprinkle some buttered, herbed crumbs on top, bake it, and call it a gratin de pâtes facile, and impress the hell out of your friends at your next smart dinner party.

Whaddaya mean, you don't have smart dinner parties?

1 lb elbow macaroni
1 stick (4 oz, 8 Tbps) butter
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup grated pecorino or parmigiano cheese
Black pepper to taste

Cook elbow macaroni in generously salted water until just al dente.   Before draining, reserve a cup of the cooking water.

Put butter and cream cheese, both softened to room temperature (I have a “soften” setting on my microwave, and it comes in handy for this sort of application), in a mixing bowl.  Add cooked, drained pasta to the bowl and mix, melting the butter and cream cheese to coat the macaroni.  Add pasta cooking water as needed to create a creamy sauce. 

Add grated pecorino or romano and black pepper, and mix well. 

Serve immediately.

I'd show you a photo, but I neglected to take one....