Beadle's Plus Macaroni
Simply delicious. Even more so if you got your hands on some Sungold cherry tomatoes last summer and roasted them for 30 minutes at 300° F with a little oil, salt and pepper and sherry vinegar. (When they're in season I roast and freeze them exclusively for this macaroni dish.)
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- ½ pound 250 grams macaroni, penne or my preference—garganelli pasta
- 3 cups milk heated but not boiled
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup flour
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¾ tsp freshly ground pepper
- 12 ounces 340 grams, equivalent to ~3 cups sharp cheddar, the best you can afford, grated coarsely
- 1½ cups vine-ripened cherry tomatoes halved and, if you have time, lightly roasted
Instructions
- Cook the pasta, drain and set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking preheat your oven to 350° F and prepare the sauce. Melt butter over moderate heat in a heavy saucepan. Add flour and whisk for about 3 minutes to make a roux but don’t let it brown. Add the hot milk in a steady stream, whisking until it thickens but don’t let it boil. Reduce heat to low, add two-thirds of the cheddar to the sauce and stir until melted. Add salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in the pasta and cherry tomatoes.
- Grease a shallow 3-quart baking dish and transfer the pasta into it. Top with the remaining cheddar. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the top is golden brown.