A nice hunk of Taleggio from the store inspired a search for a macaroni cheese recipe that incorporated it. Jamie Oliver to the rescue. I changed the proportions of the cheese a bit, and didn't use the fresh mozzarella that he calls for. I also added a breadcrumb topping because I love the crunch of crispy breadcrumbs on top of macaroni and cheese. This was quick and completely moreish. We had some salad on the side but the macaroni and cheese was clearly the star of the show.
Jamie's Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
500g/1lb 2oz good-quality macaroni
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
a knob of butter
1/2 tsp dried oregano
100g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus extra for grating
185g taleggio cheese, roughly torn
125g mascarpone cheese
¼ of a nutmeg (optional)
handful of breadcrumbs
Method
Preheat your oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6. Cook the macaroni in a pan of salted boiling water 2 minutes short of the timing on the packet instructions, then drain in a colander and reserve a little of the cooking water. Heat the butter in a large heavy-based frying pan. When it starts to foam, add the oregano and fry for a minute, then turn off the heat. Add your cooked pasta to the oregano butter, along with a couple of spoonfuls of the reserved cooking water and the Parmesan, taleggio and mascarpone. Return to a medium heat and toss and stir around until most of the cheese has melted and you have a lovely gooey sauce – you may need to add a little more of the reserved cooking water. Season to taste, then tip it all into an earthenware dish. Grate over the nutmeg (if using), top the dish with breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the extra Parmesan. Bake the macaroni cheese in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, finishing up with a quick whack under the grill, until golden brown and crispy on top.
Method
Preheat your oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6. Cook the macaroni in a pan of salted boiling water 2 minutes short of the timing on the packet instructions, then drain in a colander and reserve a little of the cooking water. Heat the butter in a large heavy-based frying pan. When it starts to foam, add the oregano and fry for a minute, then turn off the heat. Add your cooked pasta to the oregano butter, along with a couple of spoonfuls of the reserved cooking water and the Parmesan, taleggio and mascarpone. Return to a medium heat and toss and stir around until most of the cheese has melted and you have a lovely gooey sauce – you may need to add a little more of the reserved cooking water. Season to taste, then tip it all into an earthenware dish. Grate over the nutmeg (if using), top the dish with breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the extra Parmesan. Bake the macaroni cheese in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, finishing up with a quick whack under the grill, until golden brown and crispy on top.
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