For brunch, I wanted to have a vegetarian option as an alternative to the rigatoni with sausage and fennel and Ina’s Mac & Cheese was the perfect choice!
While I usually lean toward her truffle butter mac and cheese, not everyone loves truffle so this was a safer choice.
Ina’s version of mac and cheese features a rich and creamy béchamel sauce infused with sharp cheddar, gruyere, and a touch of nutmeg. The pasta of choice? Cavatappi, which Ina convinced me is the superior pasta for mac and cheese. After tossing the cheesy goodness with the pasta, it’s all poured into a casserole dish. It’s topped with fresh tomato slices and a generous sprinkling of fresh bread crumbs then baked until golden-brown and bubbly.
Initially, the addition of tomatoes seemed odd, but they surprisingly complemented the dish.
The loaf of bread that I got to make the fresh bread crumbs was, to quote GBBO, a little stodgy. The under baked loaf led to rock-hard bread crumbs, so I just used panko instead and it worked out perfectly.
Book: Family Style, page 202
Rating: 5/5
How Easy Is That: Easy
Store-Bought Is Fine: Cavatappi
Pricey Ingredients: —
Hard-to-find: —
Recipe on Foodnetwork.com
