City Hall Mac and Cheese

I love macaroni and cheese. I mean, pasta and cheese? Happy mouth! Happy feet! Unhappy doctor, when my A1C slipped barely into the pre-diabetic range. I can’t claim any happiness at that, either.

Sometimes my husband and/or I now will randomly name a food that is off our everyday-food list. Pizza. Cookies. Lasagna. Brownies. Grilled cheese. Ice cream. Egg-in-a-hole, with extra, buttery grilled bread to sop up yolk. Vichyssoise. Though frankly, none of those were on the menu very often anyway.

So I am compelled to note that I made this, not for us,* but for a nephew and his wife who recently made me a great-aunt with their gorgeous baby.

The recipe is from the outstanding cookbook by Joan Schwartz, Macaroni & Cheese.

For an amazing and even more indulgent macaroni and cheese recipe, see Mostly Sweetie Pie’s Mac and Cheese.

In this recipe, I subbed Cheddar and a Cheddar-Jack mix for the American cheese** and plain Monterey Jack. I used a quart of half-and-half instead of 2 cups heavy cream and 2 cups whole milk. It’s the same thing but makes shopping easier, because a pint of whole milk can be hard to come by.

For some recipes, I substitute fat-free half-and-half, but this isn’t one of them; the stuff will separate and curdle when simmered.

My adjustments are incorporated.

City Hall Mac and Cheese

Butter for the pan

1 lb. penne, rigate or mini

1 quart half-and-half

1/4 to 1/2 tsp. cayenne

1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg

2 cups shredded Cheddar (I used sharp)

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar-Jack mix or Monterey Jack cheese

Kosher salt

Ground pepper

1/2 cup panko

1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1 tbsp. shredded Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 350. Butter a 9-by-13 pan.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally until al dente, following package directions. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, combine the half-and-half, cayenne and nutmeg in a large saucepan (it needs to be big enough to hold the sauce and cooked pasta) over medium-high heat and reduce by about a third. It will take 15-20 minutes. Stir a few times. Once the mixture starts to simmer, stir to break up the layer of foam so it won’t boil over. Stir frequently. When it is reduced enough, cut heat to medium-low and stir in the Cheddar and Jack cheeses. Whisk till well-blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the penne. Stir to coat and then stir vigorously to release starch, which helps make the sauce thicker.

Pour the pasta into the prepared baking dish. Combine the panko, parsley and Parmesan and sprinkle evenly over the pasta. Bake until bubbly and golden, 15 to 20 minutes.

Six to eight large servings.

*A little might have made its way into two small ramekins, been baked, and been devoured with large salads.

**NOT that plastic-like orange sliced stuff. Get thee to the deli counter.