This recipe makes 4 servings as a side dish.
Prep Time:
15
mins
Cook Time:
20
mins
Total Time:
35
mins
Ingredients
Pasta:
-
150
g
elbow macaroni
(or 1 cup)
-
2
tbsp
olive oil
Mornay Sauce:
-
30
g
unsalted butter
(or 1/4 stick)
-
20
g
flour
(or 2 tbsp)
-
1/2
tsp
nutmeg, ground
-
400
ml
warm milk
(or 1 2/3 cup)
-
100
g
smoked cheddar, fresh grated
(or 1/2 cup)
-
50g
g
mozarella, fresh grated
(or 1/4 cup)
-
salt & pepper, to taste
Toppings:
-
50
g
mozzarella, fresh grated
(or 1/4 cup)
-
chives, finely chopped
-
fresh ground pepper
Instructions
-
Cook pasta as per packaging instructions less 1 minute. Drain. Toss in the olive oil. Set aside.
Make the sauce:
-
Preheat oven to 200C. In a sauce pot over medium flame, melt butter. When butter starts to froth, add flour and nutmeg then whisk until it forms a paste. Keep whisking for 3 minutes to cook out flour.
-
Slowly add milk while whisking to avoid lumps. Keep whisking until your bechamel is smooth and thick. Turn down the heat to avoid burning.
-
Take pot off the heat. Add cheeses, stir with a wooden spoon until cheese melts. Fold in elbow macaroni. Season with salt and pepper.
Assemble your macaroni & cheese:
-
Take tray out and grind a few turns of black pepper and sprinkle with chopped chives. Serve.
Recipe Notes
- Always use fresh grated cheese, the packed grated cheese have anti-caking agents and would not result in the same smooth, lump-free sauce.
- Replace chives with parsley or if you have no herbs available, just skip it, it's only a garnish.
- I always boil pasta in salty water. As in the water should taste salty not just add a teaspoon of salt to your pot, this results in better tasting pasta!
- Use warm to hot milk but do not burn your milk.