Bland? Artificial? Not this mac and cheese
Even comfort food needs an update, or at least a new angle. And this is the season to experiment.
We’re all supposed to love mac and cheese, but so much of it is gluey, bland and artificial. When I make it, I look to the French Alps for inspiration and add lardons of smoky bacon and an abundance of aged gruyere.
With most any macaroni and cheese, browning and the nice crunch that comes with it are easily accomplished via a couple of minutes under the broiler; some olive oil-tossed breadcrumbs scattered on top will amplify the effect.
For those who believe mac and cheese should be eaten with a spoon, not a fork, set a sheet of foil over the pasta during the last 10 minutes of baking.
Even comfort food needs an update, or at least a new angle. And this is the season to experiment.
Baked pasta, ever a welcoming dish, takes well to all manner of inputs. Italians will add multiple cheeses, offsetting a sharp gorgonzola with salty pecorino, unctuous fontina and milky mozzarella. In fall, truffles and porcini mushrooms become the focal point; you’ll also see pancetta, roasted squash and fried sage. Come summer, lightly fried zucchini coins and basil might be enlisted. In the American southwest, additions might include chipotles, jalapeños, roasted peppers and Monterey Jack or sharp cheddar.
This time of year, I, too, rely on spices and chillies for the energising warmth they provide. Merguez, a North African sausage made with lamb and heavily spiced with cumin, coriander, fennel, chillies, sumac and garlic, adds an unexpected boldness to a quick weeknight pasta bake. Feta, harissa and fresh cilantro stand up well to the sausage’s robust flavour.
Bacon and gruyere macaroni and cheese
If you don’t have an ovenproof skillet, transfer the pasta to a baking dish before finishing it in the oven. If you’d like to work ahead, keep the prepped pasta in the fridge for up to 12 hours, then pop it in the oven à la minute.
Serves: 5-6
INGREDIENTS
● ¾ pound thick-sliced bacon
● 2 cloves garlic, peeled and very thinly sliced
● 3 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
● 450g short pasta, such as penne
● 1/3 cup white wine
● 1 ¼ cups heavy cream
● A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
●A pinch of cayenne
● Leaves from 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
● White pepper
● 2 cups Gruyere or comte, grated
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice bacon into 1/3 -inch pieces. In a wide ovenproof skillet over low heat, cook bacon until it renders its fat, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and shallots to skillet stir to coat in bacon fat. Increase heat to medium-low and cook until garlic and shallots are translucent, about 3 minutes more.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook 2 minutes short of time stated on package.
Add white wine to skillet with bacon and shallots, increase heat to high and let wine come to a boil. When it has reduced by about half, after about 4 minutes, stir in cream and reduce heat to low. Add nutmeg, cayenne and thyme. Season with white pepper.
Drain pasta, reserving ¾ cup cooking water. Add pasta to skillet and toss well, adding reserved pasta water a tablespoon or so at a time, to create an emulsified sauce. Toss in 1 cup cheese. Taste and add salt as needed. (If you are transferring to a baking dish, do so now. At this point, if you are working ahead, you can keep the dish, covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator up to 12 hours and then let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.)
Top with remaining cheese and bake until just golden, 20 minutes.
The Wall Street Journal