Pasta is only some water & some flour, an occasional egg, NaCl. It, like bread, has been on menus since the dawn of man’s (persons) picking seeds to chew.   I do love it so, & so when I awoke one day with a craving for pasta & only a day or so after my wife, Holly, said she was going to make Macaroni & Cheese, I took the high ground.  Kill two birds, maybe three.  So here is it.

Item                                                  Number

____________________________________

Unsalted Butter                                 6 T

White Onion                                      1, small, chopped very fine

Garlic Toes                                        3, minced

All purpose flour                               3 T

“Crystal” Green Hot Sauce             1 T

Sharp Cheddar Cheese                    8 oz, grated

Gruyere Cheese                                16 oz, grated

Parmesan cheese                               ½ Cup,  fresh shaved

Whole Milk                                       1 quart

Nutmeg                                              ¼ tsp, fresh ground

Yellow Mustard                                1 tsp

Kosher salt                                         to taste

Black Pepper                                     1 T, fresh ground

Elbow Macaroni, #24 large             1 #

Bread Crumbs                                 1Cup, toasted   (Panko)

Tomatoes, fresh                             Pealed, then Sliced, ½” thick

Green Onions                                  4 stalks, chopped

 

Preheat Oven to 375° F.

 

Coat the inside of a baking dish with oil/Pam, then sprinkle a few of the bread crumbs to stick to the edges.

 

In a large pot cook Macaroni in salt seasoned water until barely done.  (6 -8 min.)  Set aside in colander draining.

 

In the now empty Macaroni pot, pour the milk & heat, but do not boil. Keep warm.

 

In a sauce pan sauté the Onion in the butter.  When cooked add garlic, cook until limp.

 

Add the flour, mixing well, & use a whisk to stir until smooth.  Once smooth & fully incorporated, add slowly the warm milk whisking as you do so.  The mixture will begin to thicken.

 

Add Cheddar & Gruyere Cheeses, pepper, hot sauce, nutmeg, & mustard at which point you have a really fine sauce blanc full of flavor.  Add all the Macaroni.  Mix well, tossing to coat fully.  Adjust salt, carefully.

 

Pour the mixture into the Baking Dish smoothing the top.  Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top & carefully stir it just into the top surface.

 

Arrange the sliced tomatoes over the top. Sprinkle the top with the remaining bread crumbs.  Place in preheated oven for 30 minutes.   When cooked, removed & let it rest for 15 minutes minimum.  (It gets set during this time.)

 

Sprinkle top with green onions…Serve wedges…garnish with fresh parsley.

Like I said, I do love it so.

 

 People came from all ’round to enjoy it.

 Enjoy!