This is a recipe for Ina Garten's Gruyere Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes. A decadent, creamy version of our favorite comfort food. A little sweet and tart from the tomatoes = Delicious.
salt to taste cheese is salty, so taste before you salt.
½teaspoonground nutmeg
¾poundfresh tomatoes4 small to medium
1 ½cupsfresh white bread crumbs5 slices, crusts removed, dried and cut into small cubes.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook about a minute shy of the directions on the package, about 8 minutes. Drain well, reserving ½ cup of the cooked pasta water.
Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't let it boil.
Melt 6 tablespoons (reserving 2 tablespoons for the bread crumbs) of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk.
While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth.
Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, salt and pepper to taste and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and the pasta water and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.
Slice the tomatoes and arrange on top.
Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.
Notes
Whenever I'm cooking pasta that will be used in a baked casserole-type recipe, I like to cook it slightly al la dente. Which means slightly undercooked. The pasta will continue to cook in the casserole in the oven. Starting out with slightly undercooked pasta will keep it from becoming too mushy during bake time.Why is pasta water good for pasta sauce? It’s liquid gold. It’s a must to add to any sauce for any pasta dish. It’s high in starch and this salty starchy water helps the sauce cling to the pasta and it helps thicken the sauce. It turns any pasta dish into a luxurious pasta dish.Note: Some brands of Kosher salt taste saltier than others. Please note the amounts in the recipe above.