Mac & Cheese

By stancec44

Ingredients

• Ghee, 5 1/2 tablespoons (or melted unsalted butter)
• All-purpose flour, 1/2 cup, plus extra if needed
• Chicken broth, 2 2/3 cups (hot)
• Heavy cream, 2 cups
• Kosher salt, 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/4 teaspoons, and extra for serving
• Freshly ground black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon plus a pinch, and extra for serving
• Shallots, 3 medium (halved lengthwise and roughly chopped)
• Garlic, 7 whole cloves
• Smoked gouda cheese, 1 pound (coarsely grated)
• Whole-wheat pasta shells, 1 pound
• Panko bread crumbs, 2 cups
• Extra-virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

1. In a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat, use the wooden spoon to combine:

5 tablespoons ghee
All-purpose flour
The mixture should look like wet sand; if it doesn’t, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue to stir until the mixture (roux) is smooth and thick and starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, 1 to 3 minutes. While whisking, vigorously add in:

1⅓ cups hot chicken broth
Once the chicken broth is incorporated, whisk in the:

Heavy cream
Simmer the sauce until thickened and reduced slightly, about 15 minutes. Season with:

¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Turn off the heat.

2. In a medium skillet set over medium-high heat, add the:

Remaining ½ tablespoon ghee
Roughly chopped shallots
Garlic cloves
Cook, using the wooden spoon to stir often, until the shallots are translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Pour in the remaining:

1⅓ cups hot chicken broth
Simmer the shallot-garlic mixture until the shallots and garlic are soft, about 5 minutes, then transfer to a blender and blend until completely smooth. Pour the blended shallot-garlic mixture into the saucepan with the cream mixture. Turn the heat on to medium and simmer the mixture for 5 minutes (if the sauce seems too thick and pasty, thin it with a little water).

3. Pour half of the hot cream sauce into the blender and blend on low speed while adding half of the:

Grated smoked gouda cheese
Once the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth, pass it through a fine-mesh sieve set over a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining hot cream sauce and cheese. Stir the two batches together in a large bowl. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed.

4. Preheat the oven to 350°. Bring a soup pot filled with water to a boil. Add:

1 tablespoon kosher salt
Whole-wheat pasta shells
Cook, following the package instructions, until the pasta is al dente. Drain into the colander and transfer to a large bowl. Using a ladle, add enough of the cheese sauce to generously coat the pasta, then transfer to a 9-inch baking dish. Ladle the remaining cheese sauce over the top of the pasta, pressing down with the bottom of the ladle to compress the pasta so it is somewhat flat on top.

5. In a small bowl, mix together the:

Panko breadcrumbs
Extra-virgin olive oil
Remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Remaining ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Sprinkle the seasoned breadcrumbs evenly over the top of the pasta and bake until the breadcrumbs are toasted, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with a little more freshly ground black pepper. Serve hot.