The Ultimate Comfort Food
Posted by Emily
Thursday January 26, 2012This time of year– at least in New England, with its bitter cold temperatures and constant switching between rain, sleet, and snow– requires two things: durable waterproof boots, and comfort food. Call it cliche, but my ultimate comfort food is macaroni and cheese. I prefer mac and cheese recipes with a twist though– buffalo, lobster, or this one from Faith Durand‘s Not Your Mother’s Casseroles: Micah’s Mac and Cheese, made with farfalle pasta and Parmesan cheese! It’s simple, but full of so much flavor and comfort.
Recipe: Micah’s Mac and Cheese
From Not Your Mother’s Casseroles
CASSEROLE DISH: 9 × 13-inch baking dish
BAKE TIME: 35 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 pound farfalle
- 1⁄4 cup (1⁄2 stick) unsalted butter
- 1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
- 21⁄2 cups milk
- 13⁄4 teaspoons salt
- 2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the baking pan with olive oil. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat, and salt the water generously. Cook the pasta for about 2 minutes less than recommended by the package directions. Drain and return to the pot.
- 2. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Cook for another minute, still stirring, until the flour and butter paste pulls away from the bottom of the pan.
- 3. Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly. Whisk in 3⁄4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens. This will take anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese, and set aside.
- 4. Stir 1⁄2 cup of the Parmesan cheese into the cooked pasta. Then pour in the white sauce and mix thoroughly. Stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and black pepper to taste.
- 5. Spread in the prepared dish and sprinkle with the remaining 1⁄2 cup of Parmesan. (At this point the casserole may be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Let come to room temperature before baking.) Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbling. Uncover and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until golden on top. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Number of servings (yield): 6-8
We’re also linking up with RecipeLion‘s January Blog Hop! Head on over there and check out all of the other great comfort food recipes!
This sounds so simple but yet so satisfying as well. I have to try this tonight!