Ingredients
- 1 ⁄2 pound dried elbow pasta
- 1 cup walnuts
- 2 cups Mac Sauce
- 1 3⁄4 cups grated Jack cheese
- 1 ⁄4 cup crumbled blue cheese
Preparation
Step 1
Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until a little less than al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain the pasta again.
Toast the walnuts (this brings out their tasty, nutty flavor): Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the walnuts on a baking sheet and bake them until brown and toasty, 5 to 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can toast the walnuts in a skillet over high heat, stirring them constantly, until they deepen in color and smell toasted, about 3 minutes. (The nuts don’t toast as evenly on the stove as in the oven, but it’s a shortcut.) Cool the nuts and chop them into smaller pieces.
Add the sauce and the cheeses to a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Stir until the cheese is barely melted, about 3 minutes. Slowly add the cooked pasta, stir, and continue cooking over medium heat while stirring continuously until it’s nice and hot.
Spoon into bowls, top with the walnuts, and serve.