Lux­u­ry Mac­a­roni and Cheese

Lux­u­ry Mac­a­roni and Cheese

(serves about 8)

1 1/2 lb mac­a­roni, or conchiglie, cooked and drained

3 tbsps butter

2 tbsps flour

1 liter whole, raw, unpas­teurised milk

skim milk to thin if sauce is too thick

as many cheeses as you have avail­able: Wens­ley­dale, Red Leices­ter, Dou­ble Glouces­ter, sharp Ched­dar, Emmen­thal: total 1 1/2 lb, grated

1/2 cup cream cheese: Dairylea or Philadel­phia or Laugh­ing Cow

dash fresh-ground nutmeg

tiny dash cayenne pepper

sea salt and black pep­per to taste

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

3 tbsps melt­ed butter

Have the cooked pas­ta avail­able, spread into a large but­tered dish, large enough to eas­i­ly accom­mo­date all the pas­ta and sauce.

Melt the but­ter in a heavy saucepan and add the flour, cook­ing togeth­er for a bub­bling minute or so.  Whisk in the whole milk, whisk­ing con­stant­ly and scrap­ing the bot­tom to get all the floury but­ter incor­po­rat­ed.  Cook this white sauce until thick­ened.  If you feel it is too thick, add a bit of skim milk, whisk­ing all the while.

Add all the cheeses togeth­er, whisk­ing as they melt.  Sea­son with the nut­meg, cayenne, salt and pepper.

When the sauce is thor­ough­ly melt­ed and creamy, pour it over the cooked pas­ta and stir care­ful­ly so that all the holes in the pas­ta receive the sauce.  Top with bread­crumbs and driz­zle with melt­ed but­ter.  Bake at 350F/180C for about 45 min­utes, or until the mid­dle of the dish is hot through.