So I’ve been thinking about this mac and cheese for three days now.
It was worth it.
I meant to serve it with some broccoli to score some points for vitamins and minerals, but…oh well. Martha suggests making the cheese sauce first and then starting the pasta, but I figured that the sauce would cool too much and become grainy, so I switched around some of the steps. My trick for knowing when the bechamel is ready to come off the heat: coat a spoon with the sauce, turn it over, and swipe your finger across the back. If the line remains for a second or two, it’s ready.
Enjoy this on a night when you can no longer deny that the days are getting shorter and fall is here.
Barely adapted from Martha Stewart’s Perfect Macaroni and Cheese
Serves 6 very, very hungry folks, or 12 with more petite appetites
Ingredients:
6 T. butter, plus more for dish
5 1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 t. kosher salt
1/8 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. ground black pepper
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
4 1/2 c. (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar
1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) grated pecorino Romano
1 pound elbow macaroni
Procedure:
1. Preheat the oven to 375. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside.
2. Fill a large pot with water and season it liberally with salt. Bring to a boil. (While you’re waiting for the water to boil and later when the pasta is cooking and cooling, get your mise en place set up and grate your cheeses.) Add macaroni and cook 2 to 3 fewer minutes than manufacturer’s directions. Transfer the macaroni to a colander and drain well.
3. Rinse out the pasta pot reuse it for making your cheese sauce. Melt the butter in it over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. We’re making a roux!
4. Pour milk into the roux while whisking. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, about 8-10 minutes.
5. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar, and 1 cup pecorino Romano.
6. Stir macaroni into the cheese sauce.
7. Pour the mac and cheese into your prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar and 1/4 cup pecorino Romano. Bake until browned on top, about 35 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes; serve.