Grandma-Inspired Macaroni and Cheese

For the last few days I've been craving some luscious home-made macaroni and cheese, and so the other day I headed for Trader Joe's to get some good cheese. This in and of itself would amaze my mother. As a child I invariably complained whenever my mom made macaroni and cheese, or hesitantly took teeny portions of my grandma's famous macaroni and cheese. But Kraft Mac and Cheese? I LOVED it! For some reason my childish tastebuds were a big fan of processed food (I also preferred those mashed potatoes where you just add water to the flakes to real mashed potatoes, much to the bewilderment of my family). Although I am still a fairly picky eater, I have broadened my horizons, at least as far as macaroni and cheese anyway!

Therefore I was on my cheesy quest when I spied some packages of already cubed pancetta; and the rest, as they say, is history. Indeed, visions of pasta and cheese were dancing through my mind last night as I sleepily stared at the tv during swimming and women's gymnastics.

So tonight, giddy and tired with Olympic joy/lack of sleep from staying awake "late" to watch said Olympics (yes it makes me feel like I'm about 62, but 11:30 does feel late nowadays); I decided that a big dish of comforting mac and cheese would be the perfect thing to hopefully accompany another night of Olympic glory. Maybe it seems like an odd thing to make on a 100 degree day, but hey, it's southern Arizona, if I only made baked dishes on cold days, I'd only get to eat mac and cheese about twice a year.

I boiled the pasta and shredded the cheese and pan-fried the pancetta, and stirred and mixed it all together into a pan of fantastic, delicious, gooey perfection. I hate to brag on myself (kinda) but this really was the best macaroni I've ever made. I loosely adapted the recipe for my Grandma's mac and cheese, substituting rather more decadent ingredients than she normally uses. It really did come together beautifully, and even though it's a little bit time-consuming to shred all the cheese and assemble everything, it was kind of therepeutic to take my time and let it all meld together. I used half swiss cheese to give it a tang, and half cheddar, to give it the stereotypcial mac and cheese glow. The crispy bits of salty pancetta were the perfect complement to the warm cheese-engulfed pasta, topped with extra cheese and some Italian breadcrumbs for extra crunch on the top. Et voila, bon appetit!

Swiss and Cheddar Celentani with Pancetta

1 lb hollow pasta, such as elbow macaroni or celentani

1/2 lb pancetta, cubed

(you could probably substitute regular bacon for equally good taste)

1 1/2 cups swiss cheese, shredded

1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup shredded or grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup flour

2 cups milk (I used 1%)

salt to taste

In a large pan bring 4 quarts of water to boil. Salt the water, and boil the pasta just until al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain the pasta, and place in a large bowl with a few cups of very cold water, to stop the pasta from cooking any more.

While the pasta is boiling, pan-fry the cubed pancetta on medium-high heat until it is crispy and dark brown. Using a slotted spoon carefully remove the pancetta to a paper towel lined plate to cool and drain. (These little suckers spit like crazy, watch out!)

Once the pasta is cooling, pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees F, and in a large pan [tangent alert! my grandma's recipe specifically says to use a different pan than the one that the pasta was boiled in, I guess because there may be starch residue in the pan? But I hate washing dishes, so I always just use the same one once I've drained the pasta]. To resume: in a large pan melt the 1/3 cup butter over medium heat. Once the butter is melted whisk in the 1/3 cup flour, whisking constantly to avoid lumps and keep the flour from scorching. Once a smooth sauce has formed slowly whisk in the milk, until the mixture is smooth and thin.

Then switch from a whisk to a spoon, and begin dropping in the shredded swiss and cheddar cheese in small handfuls, stirring thoroughly to combine. While you are stirring, increase the heat slightly until the sauce begins to bubble and thicken as you stir. Once all the cheese is incorporated and the cheese has thickened, salt to taste and turn the heat down to low. Quickly drain the pasta again, making sure that there is no water remaining in the large bowl. Return the pasta to the bowl, and pour the cheese sauce over the pasta. Stir it all together, then stir in the pancetta cubes, and spoon the mixture into a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish.

In a small bowl mix together the parmesan cheese and Italian flavored breadcrumbs. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the pasta. Bake the mac and cheese at 325 for about 20 minutes, or until hot all the way through. I always broil it for about 90 seconds at the end too, to make the topping extra golden and crunchy. Serve hot! And be prepared to eat a lot. No really, a lot. Theoretically this could feed a lot of people since it is a big panful, but three of us definitely ate more than half of the pan tonight. So I'd estimate that it'll feed about six people, unless they either hate cheese or have bird-like appetites. Or are lactose intolerant. Or vegans. Anyway, you catch my drift. Enjoy!