Creamy Macaroni And Cheese With Rapini
serves 4
Using evaporated milk makes the sauce a very creamy, but has a fraction of the fat in heavy cream. Rapini's strong flavor is tempered by the cheese and keeps the dish from being too one-dimensional.
Read more about this recipe at Coconut & Lime.
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup milk, at room temperature or slightly warm
1 cup evaporated milk, at room temperature or slightly warm
1 cup shredded asiago
1 cup shredded cheddar
1 pound small or medium-sized pasta, cooked
1 bunch rapini, chopped and steamed in a mesh basket over pasta, while the pasta is cooking
Vegetable oil for baking dish
3 tablespoons grated parmesan
1/4 cup panko
prep: 20 minutes
total: 1 hour 5 minutes
medium saucepan
whisk
baking dish
aluminum foil (optional)
1. For the béchamel sauce, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour along with a sprinkle of nutmeg, salt and pepper and whisk until smooth.
2. Add the milk and evaporated milk and whisk together until slightly thickened. Whisk in the asiago and cheddar until smooth.
3. Pour the sauce over the drained pasta. Add the rapini and stir to evenly distribute.
4. Pour into lightly oiled baking dish. Top with a sprinkle of parmesan and panko. Bake covered about 15 minutes, then uncover and bake until hot and bubbly, about 10-15 additional minutes.
