Monday, January 2, 2012

Mac n Cheese - Baked

Hope you all kicked off 2011 and started a Beautiful, Joyful 2012!
We also did the same. We started by bringing the Italian cuisine to our home. The cheesy pasta filled with aromatic herbs make us gobble like a wolf, :)

Particularly, Mac n cheese has been favorite to 3 of us, except for Shyam. There's nothing more comforting than a good bowl of plain mac n' cheese. Pasta is a favorite no matter how its made and I always like to make from the scratch at home instead of using a box. So, I jazzed it up a bit by adding a few of my favorite stuffs.



You need
2 Cups Macaroni Elbows
1 small Onion, cut into thin strips
3 cloves Garlic, chopped
1/2 Red bell pepper cut into thin strips
1 1/2 cups Milk
3 Tbsp Olive oil
3 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Basil
1 cup Sharp Cheddar cheese (shredded) - I prefer organic, as they do not have Rennet
Salt and Pepper
2 Tbsp All purpose Flour
2 handfuls bread crumbs


Bring a large pot of water to boil. Salt generously, add a tsp of Oil and then add the pasta. Stir and cook for 8 to 10  minutes till pasta is cooked through. Drain and keep aside.

Heat oil in an oven proof pan. Add the onions, garlic and bell pepper. Saute for a few minutes till onions and peppers are soft. Heat the milk in another pan, do not boil. Add the flour and stir continuously till smooth. Cook on low heat for 2 minutes. Flour is used here to give the pasta a binding agent. Slowly stir in the hot milk and stir continuously to make a smooth thick paste. Cook on low till the sauce thickens. Add this to the cooked pasta and mix gently so they bind nicely together.

Preheat oven to 450F.

To the onions, stir in the chopped basil, salt, pepper and the shredded cheese. Saute till the basil leaves are tender. Stir in the cooked pasta and toss to coat evenly.

Transfer to a baking dish and spread to form an even layer. Top with the bread crumbs and a handful of shredded cheese.
Place in preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and the bread crumbs have browned. Let sit for a few minutes before serving.
You just cant wait until they cool a bit.

This is sure a treat on a New Years day.

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