Martha's Mac and Cheese

This is not my first time making mac and cheese, but this is by far the best recipe I have tried so far. It is cheesy and rich with just a little bit of warmth from some cayenne pepper. I found this recipe via smittenkitchen who adapted it from Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The Original Classics. She uses a type of bread crumb I have never seen before. They are more like croutons but I actually liked them a lot although when you reheat leftovers (and believe me, you will definitely want left overs) they are kind of stale, so if you prefer a traditional breadcrumb I am sure that would be great too.



After looking at that cheesy goodness I am sure you will be dying to make this just as I was, so here is how I tweaked the recipe:

Serves about 6 people

Ingredients:
3 tbsp + 1tbsp of unsalted butter
3 slices of good italian white bread (ripped/cut into small pieces/cubes)
2 3/4 cups of whole milk
1/4 cup of flour
about 1 tsp of kosher sea salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
pinch of black pepper to taste
1 1/2 + 1/2 generous cups of sharp aged white cheddar cheese (I try to get cheddar that has been aged for at least 12 months as that it when you can really start to taste the difference)
1/2 +1/4 cup of grated pecorino romano cheese
About 1/2 lb of De Cecco Cavatappi or what ever noodles you prefer. I just find that this noodle not only holds on to all of the cheesy goodness but its a lot more substantial than the usual macaroni noodle which I like

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and butter a 8x8 casserole. Place the bread pieces in a bowl and cover with 1 tbsp of melted butter.

Warm milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Meanwhile in a separate saucepan melt the remaining 3 tbsp of butter after about a minute when the butter is bubbly add the flour and stir until well combined.

While whisking add the milk a little bit at a time. I usually add a little and wait until there is a uniform consistency then add a little more. At first it will look like mashed potatoes but that it okay just keep adding the milk.

Continue to cook the sauce until thickened. I usually cook until you get a decent layer of milk on the back of a spoon (about 8 minutes).

Once thickened remove from heat and add the salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, 1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup of pecorino romano. Set the sauce aside.

Cook the pasta in well salted boiling water until the outside of the noodle appears to be done but the inside is clearly underdone 2-3 minutes. Drain well and rinse with cold water.

Add the pasta to the cheese sauce and mix thoroughly. Add to the casserole. Top with remaining cheeses then bread pieces.

Bake in the oven on the middle rack for about 30 minutes or until the bread pieces are brown and toasty looking. When done, remove from the oven and set on a wire rack (or the stove top) for 5 minutes (this part takes real self control!)

ENJOY!

I promise you that this recipe is easy and pretty much foolproof so there really is no reason not to try it. Plus summer is still several months away, so no need to feel guilty!