Grown-up Mac and Cheese

I think the best part of having an adult palette is finding new ways to enjoy childhood classics.  (Because who isn't a child at heart?)  This particular rendition of mac and cheese was inspired by a similar dish that I had at a "homestyle favorites" gourmet restaurant around my campus.  Unfortunately, it's a little too pricey for me to frequent (read: I've only been there once).  Their version was made with a gouda/gruyere cheese sauce, with ham, peas, and golden delicious apples.  Needless to say, it was delicious and I was determined to try it again at home (and naturally tailor it a little more to my tastes).

Let's start with the pasta.  I absolutely hate shell pasta.  They always stick to each other while cooking, and I like my pasta to be freely mobile.  So, I walked down the pasta aisle in Whole Foods (I know, I know, don't judge me, it's the closest store to my apartment and I was in a rush) and picked the best mac and cheese looking pasta that I could find that wasn't elbows (too juvenile) or shells (for reasons mentioned above).  The pipe rigate was great for holding the sauce both on the outside ridges and the inside, especially for hiding little surprises like pieces of pancetta or peas.  But now I'm just patting myself on the back.  Naturally, whatever type of pasta is your favourite (or whatever you have on hand) will do just fine.

Next on the ingredients list was the ham.  The restaurant used bite-sized bits of what looked like a spiral cut ham.  I wasn't about to buy a leg of ham for one meal.  Conveniently, I can get prepackaged pancetta for a reasonable amount, and it was just enough for the recipe.  If I had leftover ham, like after a holiday party or something, that would just be even more perfect because I love finding delicious ways of repackaging leftovers.

When I got to the cheese section of my regular grocery store (as in not Whole Foods), I wasn't entirely sure what type of cheese I was going to use for the sauce.  I was thinking cheddar, since it melts well, but I also wanted something that would stand up to the apple.  Luckily, Trader Joe's sells a cheddar-gruyere blend that I figured would be absolutely perfect.  It didn't melt to be completely smooth, but it had the stronger flavour that I wanted.

The rest was just a cup of frozen peas which I cooked quickly and set aside while I did the rest of the work, and half of a Honeycrisp apple.  It's not pictured because I was cooking for my boyfriend and I knew he had apples, so I made him contribute something, but I had to start photographing everything before he came over, or dinner was going to be late.  (The first thing to know about me is that I like to be punctual.)  He also happened to have Honeycrisp apples which are locally in season.  They are a sweet but firm-fleshed apple and went well with the savoury cheese sauce.  Your apple choice is entirely up to you.

Grown-up Mac and Cheese

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound of pipe rigate (or your favorite type of pasta)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 1/2 cup milk
• 2 cups shredded cheddar-gruyere cheese
• 1 cup peas, prepared
• 4 oz pancetta, cubed
• 1/2 Honeycrisp apple, diced with the skin still on
• Salt & pepper to taste

1) Prepare the pasta according to package directions, drain, and set aside.

2) In a medium saucepan, cook the pancetta cubes over a medium-low heat until they are just tender and starting to render their fat, but not yet crispy.  Set the cooked pancetta aside, saving most of the bacon fat in the pan.

3) Turn the heat to a low setting and slowly melt the butter into the bacon fat until it starts to bubble and be fragrant. Whisk in the flour.  At this point, everything will start to thicken up considerably.  Just don't stop whisking and you'll be okay.

4) Slowly add in the milk.  I added it in three parts, making sure that each was fully incorporated before adding more.  Do not be afraid to lift the pan off the heat if it starts to thicken too fast for you to keep up.  However, as you add in more milk (especially if it was just in the fridge, as it should be) you may need to turn the heat up to about a medium setting.  Once the entire mixture is warm and creamy, turn the heat down again and add the cheese.  Check the salt levels and adjust accordingly.

5) At this point, I would add the peas, pancetta, and apples into the sauce and stir well so that everything can warm up a little before pouring it over your pasta.  When I prepared this, I tried to pour the cheese over the pasta, peas, pancetta, and apples so that the apples wouldn't soften too much, but trying to distribute everything evenly in a full pot was not easy.  The apple that I chose was also firmer, if your apple is softer, then you might be better off stirring it in later.  It is essential that your apple pieces all have a little skin on them so that they do not disintegrate into the cheese.  While that would be delicious, it would also be contrary to the texture we're trying to go for here.

6) Serve with a little cracked pepper on top.  Enjoy.