Best Mac 'n' Cheese Ever

By scottnjennie

Ingredients

• 1 head of garlic, roasted
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 lb Cavatappi pasta
• 1/2 lb Appelwood smoked bacon
• 1 1/2 c fresh white bread crumbs
• 1/2 c Parmigiano Reggiano grated
• 8 Tbs butter
• 1/4 c shallots minced
• 1/2 c flour
• 1 qt whole milk
• 6 oz Gruyere cheese, grated
• 8 oz extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated

Details

Preparation time 45mins
Cooking time 60mins

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Roast garlic: Slice 1/2 inch off the top. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap garlic in heavy foil and roast until tender - about 45 minutes. Remove garlic pulp by squeezing garlic head. Smash cloves with a fork to form a paste.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Cook bacon completely. Drain on paper towels. Reserve 1 Tbsp of bacon fat. Crumble bacon when cool.

To make topping: Combine breadcrumbs, crumbled bacon, Parmigiano Reggiano and 2 Tbsp of melted butter. Set aside.

Increase oven temp to 375 degrees.

Sauté shallots over low heat in reserved bacon fat for one minute. Add remaining 6 Tbsp of butter and continue to sauté until translucent.

Add flour and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes. Increase heat to medium. Stirring constantly with a whisk, add milk and roasted garlic paste.

Cook until sauce is thickened (coats the back of a spoon). Remove sauce from heat and then add salt, pepper, nutmeg, Gruyere and Cheddar cheeses. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.

Stir in cooked pasta. Pour into baking dish. Sprinkle topping to cover entire top. Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until sauce is bubbly and topping is browned.