Macaroni and Cheese
Recipe courtesy Alex Guarnaschelli
Prep
15 min
Inactive Prep
--
Cook
35 min
Total:
50 min
Ingredients
* 10 cups water
* Kosher salt
* 3 cups elbow macaroni (preferably De Cecco brand, if available)
* 1 quart heavy cream
* 2 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly
crushed with the back of a knife
* 2 tablespoons
* 3 to 3 1/2 cups grated Gruyere
* Freshly ground white pepper
* 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
* 1/2 cup grated sharp Cheddar
* Worcestershire sauce, to taste
* Hot sauce, to taste
* 1/3 to 1/2 cup toasted bread crumbs
Directions
Preheat the oven to
350 degrees F.
In a large pot, bring
the water to a rolling boil. Add the salt. Taste the water. It should be salty
like sea water. Add the macaroni and stir, with a wooden spoon or large slotted
spoon, to ensure the macaroni does not stick to the bottom of the pot as it
cooks. Cook until the macaroni is still quite firm, 8 to 10 minutes.
Pour the macaroni and
water into a strainer placed over the sink. Allow the water to drain out,
reserving approximately 1 cup of the liquid.
In the same pot,
bring the cream, garlic cloves, and the reserved cooking liquid to a simmer.
Add the mustard and 3 cups of the Gruyere. Season with salt
and pepper, to taste. Simmer gently, stirring constantly, until the
cheese is melted and has integrated with the cream. Add the Parmesan and
Cheddar. Stir with a wooden spoon and simmer again until smooth. Add a splash
of Worcestershire and a splash of hot sauce. Stir to blend. Taste for
seasoning.
Add the macaroni to
the cream and stir gently to blend. Allow the macaroni to rest on the stove, 5
to 10 minutes, so the pasta absorbs the flavors. Remove and discard the garlic
cloves.
Fill a baking dish
with the macaroni mixture, top with the bread crumbs, the remaining Gruyere
cheese and bake 10 to 12 minutes or until the bread crumbs crust on top. Serve
immediately.