Mac & cheese grows up
Italian sub inspires toothsome dish with a creamy, sharp cheese sauce. In this grown-up version of macaroni and cheese we take a trip to Italy. Sort of.
Inspired by the Italian sub popular in the Northeast, we sauteed up salami, garlic peppers, sun-dried tomatoes and onion.
Our cheese sauce is creamy and sharp because of a mixture of fontina and picante provolone. If you can’t find picante provolone, just use the sharpest provolone you can find.
And while we used orecchiette pasta, any shape will do. If you prefer your macaroni and cheese baked, spoon the finished recipe into a casserole dish and top with Parmesan cheese before placing under the broiler for a minute or two.
Garlic peppers are a sort of pickled red pepper. If you can’t find them, substitute roasted red peppers and add a minced clove of garlic and a tablespoon of red wine vinegar.
Italian macaroni and cheese
1 pound orecchiette pasta
5 ounces dry salami, diced (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped oil packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup garlic peppers, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1 cup shredded fontina cheese
1 cup shredded picante provolone cheese
1/2 cup shredded fresh basil
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, saute the salami until crisped and browned, about 5 minutes. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic peppers and onion. Continue to cook until the onion is very tender, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the butter and stir until melted. Add the flour and stir to coat well.
While stirring continuously, pour in the milk. Bring the mixture to a boil, continuing to stir. Cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the fontina and provolone, one at a time, to ensure even melting. Stir in the basil and the cooked pasta. Season with salt and black pepper.
Makes 8 servings. Per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 480 calories; 170 calories from fat (36 percent of total calories); 19 g fat (10 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 55 mg cholesterol; 53 g carbohydrate; 23 g protein; 3 g fiber; 820 mg sodium.
Cheese tortellini with chicken, broccoli, carrots and basil pesto
By: Chef Dan Eaton
INGREDIENTS:
• approx. 3 cups cooked chicken meat, diced or shredded
• 1 9-10 ounce package cheese tortellini
• 2 small onions, chopped (or 1 medium large)
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch coins
• olive oil for sauteing veggies
• 2-3 cups broccoli florets
• 1 cup chicken stock
• approx. 1 cup basil pesto (or more to taste)
• grated parmesan cheese for garnish
PROCEDURE:
1. Once the chicken meat has been removed from the bones the rest of the meal comes together in just about the amount of time it takes to bring a medium pot of water to a boil and cook the tortellini, so get the water going for that.
2. And then use another wide, deep pot to saute 2 small rough chopped onions and 4 medium, peeled and 1/2-inch thick sliced carrots in a little olive oil to soften.
3. Once the onions have softened up, add 2-3 cups of small broccoli florets and add 1 cup of chicken stock and turn the heat to high.
4. Put a lid on top of that and, the idea is to cook the broccoli and finish cooking the carrots without the pan drying out, so keep your eye on that. At this point, add one 10-ounce package of cheese tortellini to the boiling water and get that going.
5. The tortellini will only take 4-5 minutes to cook, you want to let it gently simmer along. Once the broccoli is tender crisp, add the cooked chicken meat to that and let that warm through.
6. Then use a slotted utensil to scoop the cooked tortellini into the pot, and then add enough basil pesto to generously coat everything and it is time to eat.
7. Serve it up in bowls with grated parmesan cheese over the top.
HINTS: Add a handful of defrosted frozen peas to the mix as well.
Cheese Recipes with Bill & Sheila
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