Adult Macaroni and Cheese

I call this "adult" macaroni and cheese because I usually make it with a cheese other than the standard cheddar - gruyere, emanthaler, parmesan, asiago. It makes a great side dish on a cold winter day!  This recipe is based on one from The New Basics Cookbook by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins with my own variations.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound penne or other pasta
4 cups milk
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
6 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp paprika
Salt and pepper
12 ounces cheese, grated

PREPARATION

1. Boil the pasta in a large stock pot with salted water.  Use the time alotted on the package but subtract one minute - you want the pasta to be slightly underdone.

2. Drain the pasta and set aside in a large bowl.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees.

4. In a large sauce pan (or in a large microwave-safe glass measuring cup in the microwave), bring the milk to a boil and immediately remove from heat.

5. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over low heat.  Add the flour and whist over low heat for about 5 minutes but make sure it doesn't brown.  Remove from heat.

6. Add the hot milk to the flour mixture, and whist well.  Add 1/2 tsp of the paprika, season with salt and pepper, and return the pan to the heat.  Cook over medium heat, constantly whisting for about 5 minutes or until mixture thickens.  Remove from heat.

7. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce.

8. Butter a 13 x 9 x 2 glass baking dish or casserole and pour in the pasta/sauce mixture.

9.  Sprinkle the grated cheese over the pasta and then sprinkle with the remaining paprika, salt and pepper.

10.  Place the dish on a baking sheet and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes until hot.

11.  Remove the dish and if desired, place under a broiler - watching constantly - until the top is golden brown, about 3 minutes.

Serves 8.

Variations: look for hard or semi-hard cheeses to use but I have also used some cream cheeses such as fontina.  When using a creamier cheese, I mix the cheese into the pasta instead of sprinkling on top.  Also consider using cheese combinations such as asiago and gorgonzola.  Another variation is to add a can of chopped, drained tomatoes to the pasta mixture as well as cooked mushrooms - the goal is to add items which won't contribute moisture to the dish and make it soupy.

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Bolognese Sauce

Ok - here it is. This is one of the dishes that I am most known for with friends and family. If you have a Saturday afternoon where you want to putter around the house and also check in periodically on its progress, this is the recipe for you.

I don't make this during the summer months - too much work and too much heat in the kitchen.

Mom made great pasta sauce but would usually start with some Prego or Ragu that she doctored with ground beef, onions and spices.

Bolognese Sauce is enchanting - an Italian mistress that you can't ignore - rich layers of red wine, beef, pork, tomatoes - all in a beautiful body.

Ingredients:

2 large onions, chopped (should be 2-3 cups of onions)
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork (or a mix of beef/veal/pork)
2 cups red wine (dry red wine such as chianti, cabernet – no zinfandel!)
3 cans tomato puree (28 ounces each)
1 small can tomato paste
1 tbsp beef broth base – concentrated beef broth or veal demi-glace
1 tbsp Salt
1 tbsp Black Pepper
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp chopped garlic (optional)
Various cooked meats - chicken breast, pork chops, Italian sausage (optional)

Instructions:

1. In a large (7-8 qt) dutch oven, brown the meats and then drain off the resulting grease.

2. Chop the onion and place in large dutch oven with oil and butter. Cook over high heat for 3 minutes or until soft. Add all the browned meat.

3. Add wine and cook for 1 minute – deglaze the pan. Add tomato puree and tomato paste. Add Salt and Pepper.

4. Bring to boil. Lower heat to a simmer – the sauce should bubble slowly for the next 3 hours. Stir occasionally = every 30 minutes.

5. If using garlic, add the garlic during the last 30 minutes of cooking.

6. If using sausage or other meats – sear them on all sides in a frying pan or on a grill and then add during the simmer stage. They must cook for 2-3 hours.

7. This sauce is best served with a corkscrew, cavatappi or orichette style pasta – no long pasta or tubes (ziti, rigatoni).

Photo: Bolognese Sauce by Pat Kight, Flickr

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