Quintessential Mac N Cheese
Ingredients
- 5 cloves chopped garlic, plus 3 cloves whole garlic ⓘ
- 3 bay leaves ⓘ
- Salt ⓘ
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoons paprika, plus more to taste ⓘ
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika ⓘ
- 3 quarts water, boiling ⓘ
- 1 pound dry elbow macaroni ⓘ
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- Olive oil, to taste ⓘ
- 1 pound aged sharp Cheddar ⓘ
- 3/4 cup white Cheddar ⓘ
- 3 ounces Asiago ⓘ
- 3 ounces Pecorino
- 3 ounces Gorgonzola ⓘ
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour ⓘ
- 2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/3 cup creme fraiche ⓘ
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard ⓘ
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard ⓘ
- 1 teaspoon paprika ⓘ
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika ⓘ
- 1 lemon, juiced, 1/2 lemon, zested ⓘ
- 2 teaspoons finely ground Mediterranean sea salt ⓘ
Instructions
- Prepare pasta stock by adding 5 cloves garlic, bay leaves, salt, pepper, paprika, smoked paprika, to the water.
- Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat.
- Strain stock and return liquid to the pot.
- Bring to a boil and add macaroni until done.
- Strain pasta and toss with dry mustard.
- Toss in salt, pepper, and olive oil to taste.
- For the cheese sauce:
- Grate all the cheeses, making sure to keep Asiago and Pecorino separate from the Cheddars.
- Crumble the Gorgonzola cheese.
- Melt the butter and add the flour through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Add cream and creme fraiche.
- Add dry mustard, Dijon mustard, paprika, smoked paprika, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper.
- Add Gorgonzola and Cheddar cheeses to the sauce, returning to low heat.
- Add the pasta to the cheese sauce and add egg, combine well.
- Top with grated Asiago and Pecorino.
- Put in individual crocks and bake until bubbly golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.
- For the pesto:
- Blend the olive oil, lemon zest, basil, pine nuts, feta, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor to make basil pesto.
- For cream sauce:
- In a saucier, combine the heavy cream, creme fraiche, Dijon mustard, dry mustard, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Cook on medium heat until flavors meld and sauce reduces.
- Cut bread into 8 toastettes.
- Season with salt, pepper and butter.
- Put in oven to toast.
- Remove and drizzle with basil pesto and cream sauce.
- Serve macaroni and cheese and serve immediately with toastettes.
Nutrition & Diet Analysis (per serving)
1617
kcal
81% DV
Protein
Fat
Carbs
Diet fit
High-protein
High-fiber
Contains
Milk
Wheat/Gluten
Estimated from ingredients & per-serving nutrition — verify against package labels for allergies or strict diets.
* % Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet (FDA 2020).
Nutrition is estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data and may vary with brand, portion and preparation — see our methodology. This information is for general educational purposes only and is not medical or dietary advice (disclaimer).