Bacon-Gruyère Macaroni
and Cheese
If you don’t have an ovenproof skillet, transfer
the pasta to a 9-by-13 baking dish before finishing it in the oven. If you’d
like to work ahead, keep the prepped pasta in the fridge for up to 12 hours,
then pop it in the oven à la minute.
SERVES: 5-6
Ingredients
- ¾ pound thick-sliced bacon (we used ½
pound; the original amount is probably ok. We were trying to reduce
calories)
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and very
thinly sliced
- 3 shallots, peeled and thinly
sliced
- 1 pound short pasta, such as penne
- ⅓ cup white wine
- 1¼ cups heavy cream
- A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- A pinch of cayenne
- Leaves from 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- White pepper
- 2 cups Gruyère
or Comté, grated ( an 8-oz wedge grated made plenty)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice
bacon into 1/3 -inch pieces. In a wide ovenproof skillet over low heat,
cook bacon until it renders its fat, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and
shallots to skillet stir to coat in bacon fat. Increase heat to medium-low
and cook until garlic and shallots are translucent, about 3 minutes more.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of
salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook 2 minutes short
of time stated on package.
- Add white wine to skillet with
bacon and shallots, increase heat to high and let wine come to a boil.
When it has reduced by about half, after about 4 minutes, stir in cream
and reduce heat to low. Add nutmeg, cayenne and thyme. Season with white
pepper.
- Drain pasta, reserving ¾ cup
cooking water. Add pasta back to the pasta pot. Add skillet makings to the
pot and toss well, adding reserved pasta water a tablespoon or so at a
time, to create an emulsified sauce. Toss in 1 cup cheese. Taste and add
salt as needed. (we didn’t add) (If you are
transferring to a baking dish, do so now. At this point, if you are
working ahead, you can keep the dish, covered with plastic wrap, in the
refrigerator up to 12 hours and then let sit at room temperature for 30
minutes before baking.)
- Top with remaining cheese and bake
until just golden, 20 minutes.
- Looks like it could make more than
6 servings. It will definitely mess over your calorie count for the day.
Adapted
from Aleksandra Crapanzano
This recipe was published
in:
How
To Make Your Macaroni And Cheese Recipe Even Better
By Aleksandra Crapanzano