Macaroni and Cheese

This is the real thing. The classic version is made with cheddar cheese, but you can use any kind you like as well as combinations of different cheeses. Look for a cheese that melts well. Good ones to experiment with are: Gruyère, Fontina, Monterey Jack, Asiago, Emmental, and Muenster.

 

Elbow macaroni is the classic shape for this, but if you can find Barilla brand’s shape called pipette, the pasta pieces are designed to hold the cheese and sauce perfectly, and the edges crisp up beautifully.

 

You can do all the preparation ahead of time except for baking, keep it in the refrigerator, and do the final baking later on. This also is excellent reheated, so consider making more than you’ll eat the first time.

 

SERVES 4 AS A MAIN DISH, 6 TO 8 AS A SIDE DISH

 

Ingredients: 

1 pound elbow macaroni or pipette

 

4 tablespoons butter or margarine

4 tablespoons flour

 

2 cups milk, warmed

 

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Pinch of nutmeg

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated

 

. . . . . . . .

 

Instructions: 

▪ Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Butter a 2 ½ to 3 quart baking dish.

 

▪ Fill a large pot with 4 quarts of cold water, cover it and bring to a full boil. Add salt to taste. Add the pasta all at once, stir it to get it uniformly cooking, and set a timer for the recommended time on the package. A minute or so before the end time taste a piece of pasta for doneness. You’re looking for just a bit of resistance as you bite into it; not too hard and not too soft, but “al dente” or “to the tooth”. When the pasta is done, drain it and set it aside.

 

▪ Melt the butter or margarine in a sauce pan on low heat. Stir in the flour a little at a time and cook, stirring continuously, 3 to 4 minutes; it will be little frothy. Remove from heat and wait for it to stop bubbling.

 

▪ Stir in the milk, return the pan to medium heat and stir continuously for a few minutes to allow the sauce to thicken. A wire whisk is good for blending the sauce.

 

▪ Add the Worcestershire sauce, mustard, nutmeg, cayenne, salt and pepper. Adjust the seasonings to taste, keeping in mind the cheese will likely be salty.

 

▪ Put a third of the macaroni in the baking dish and sprinkle a third of the cheese over it. Make two more layers of macaroni and cheese, ending with the cheese. Now pour the hot sauce over all the ingredients. Gently draw a knife blade through the macaroni in a couple of S patterns to distribute the sauce a little more; your goal is not to mix everything together. You don’t want to crush any of the macaroni by over mixing and it will all blend together in the cooking.

 

▪ Bake about 50 minutes, or until browned on top.