Meatball Macaroni and Cheese

By charlotteh371

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 ⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 ⁄4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 ⁄8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1⁄2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 1⁄2 cups shredded fontina cheese, divided
• 1 (16-ounce) package bucatini pasta, cooked
• Italian Meatballs (recipe follows)
• 1 (24-ounce) jar tomato-basil pasta sauce

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375°. Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour; cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Whisk in milk, garlic, salt, oregano, red pepper, and nutmeg. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup Parmesan and 1 cup fontina until melted. Remove from heat.
Stir in cooked pasta. Spoon mixture into prepared dish; top with Italian Meatballs, pasta sauce, remaining 1⁄2 cup Parmesan and remaining 1⁄2 cup fontina.
Bake until bubbly and cheese melts, approximately 20 minutes.