- 1
Ingredients
- apple sausage, cut into 1/2
- inch pieces 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced 2 Honeycrisp apples—peeled, cored and cut into 1/2
- inch pieces 1/2 cup hard cider 1/4 cup all
- purpose flour 3 cups whole milk 2 tablespoons minced sage 1 teaspoon thyme leaves, minced Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Preparation
Step 1
Directions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cavatappi and cook until al dente, 8 minutes. Drain in a colander and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to prevent sticking and set aside. In a medium bowl, toss the cheeses together and set aside.
2. Preheat the broiler. In a 6-quart Dutch oven, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the butter over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring often, until lightly golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and onion, and cook until softened and lightly caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Stir in the apples and cook until lightly softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Pour in the hard cider and cook, stirring to scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pot, until the cider has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture, stirring to evenly coat all the contents of the pot, 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk, stirring constantly, until incorporated without any lumps. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until thickened, 5 minutes.
5. Add all but 1 cup of the cheese mixture and the minced sage and thyme. Stir until the cheese has melted and is incorporated, 1 minute. Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat, then remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
6. Transfer all of the pasta to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese. Broil until the cheese is bubbly and golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes, then serve.