Show #120

A great favorite at Restaurant Villegas ever since we opened and still one of our most popular dishes. You can make it at home and its nothing like that stuff out of the box your kids love. Its better!

Ingredients:

1- 3 quart casserole dish

2-3 tbsps unsalted butter, softened

For the bread crumbs:

2 tbsps unsalted butter

6 slices high quality rustic sourdough bread, lightly pulsed in a food processor or run against a cheese grater

french sea salt, to taste, black pepper, to taste

ahi or ancho chili powder, to taste

For the beurre manie:

1/2 cup all-purpose organic flour

6 tbsps unsalted butter

For the roasted garlic bechamel:

5 1/2 cups organic whole milk

2-3 tsps french sea salt, or to taste

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

4-6 bay leaves, whole

1/4 tsp ahi or ancho chili powder, or to taste

3/4 cup roasted garlic puree, see recipe

To finish the macaroni & cheese:

4 1/2 cups (18oz) fresh cow's milk mozzarella, grated

1 1/4 cups (5oz) wisantigo parmesan, grated

1 lb high quality penne pasta

french sea salt to taste

Serves 12

Note: This recipe easily divides in half. Just use a one-and-a-half-quart casserole dish.

Method:

Heat the oven to 375°. Butter the 3-quart casserole dish with the softened unsalted butter; set aside.

For the bread crumbs:

Place the fresh bread crumbs in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into the bowl with bread, season with the salt, pepper & chili powder and toss well. Set bread crumbs aside.

For the beurre manie:

In a medium bowl knead the remaining 6 tbsps butter with your fingertips with the half cup of flour until well blended. Reserve.

For the roasted garlic bechamel:

In a large saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk with the salt, nutmeg, black pepper, bay leaves, chili powder and roasted garlic puree. Bring to a simmer whisking all the time for about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let steep for 20 minutes.

Put the pan back on the heat and bring to a boil while whisking, slowly crumble in the beurre manie. Continue cooking, whisking vigiously and constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick. Let the mixture then simmer for about 5-10 minutes or so for flavors to blend and flour to cook out a bit.

To finish the macaroni & cheese:

Remove pan from heat and add 3 of the 4.5 cups of mozzarella cheese and 1 of the 1 1/4 cups wisantigo parmesan; set cheese sauce aside.

Fill a large saucepan with water add salt to taste; bring to a boil. Add penne; cook 2 to 3 minutes less than manufacturer's directions, until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone. (Different brands of penne cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.)

Transfer penne to a colander and drain well. Make sure the large saucepan is big enough and stir penne into the reserved cheese sauce

Pour mixture into the buttered casserole. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/4 cups mozzarella, 1/4 cup of the wisantigo parmesan, and bread crumbs over top.

Bake until browned on top about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool 5 minutes; serve hot.