Name: Mountain-style mac and cheese
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 400 gm dried macaroni; 80 ml (1/3 cup) mild extra-virgin olive oil; 80 gm mild pancetta, finely chopped; 6 golden shallots, finely diced; 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 3 tsp finely chopped thyme; 150 ml dry white wine; 400 ml pouring cream; 150 gm coarsely crumbled Taleggio; 150 gm coarsely grated Asiago

Mountain-style mac and cheese

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for mountain-style mac and cheese.

Serves 4

Prep

15M

Cook

50M

Total

1H 5M

Macaroni and cheese is always a crowd-pleaser, and this version using mountain cheeses is especially rich and filling. The pasta should be still quite firm after the initial cooking, because it will continue to soften in the oven. If you’re looking for extra texture, you could scatter some coarse breadcrumbs over the top before baking.

Ingredients

400 gm dried macaroni

80 ml (1/3 cup) mild extra-virgin olive oil

80 gm mild pancetta, finely chopped

6 golden shallots, finely diced

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 tsp finely chopped thyme

150 ml dry white wine

400 ml pouring cream

150 gm coarsely crumbled Taleggio

150 gm coarsely grated Asiago

Method

Main

1.Preheat oven to 200C. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until almost al dente (5-10 minutes). Drain, refresh under cold running water and set aside.

2.Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add pancetta and shallot, stir occasionally until tender (4-6 minutes), add garlic and thyme, cook for 1 minute, then add white wine and reduce by half (3-5 minutes). Remove from heat, stir in cream, cheeses and pasta and season to taste. Transfer to a 2-litre baking dish and bake until golden and bubbling (20-25 minutes). Serve hot.