Gourmet Macaroni Cheese by Allyson Gofton
Course: Dinner, LunchCuisine: BakingDifficulty: Easy4
servings15
minutes40
minutes55
minutesI’ve never been a fan of the typical macaroni cheese, probably because it was not on the menu as a kid. I was raised in a traditional 1960s home where we were more likely to have shepherd’s pie than pasta dishes. But once I dreamed up this idea of taking macaroni cheese to the next level, replacing the white sauce with cream, eggs and quality Parmesan, well, I was converted. A plucky little crumble of all things deli – sun dried tomatoes, olives, capers and basil – scattered on top before serving makes this a heavenly version of macaroni cheese.
Ingredients
150 or (200) grams macaroni or penne pasta
3 eggs
1.5 cups cream or mascarpone
1 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
0.25 cup chopped black olives
0.25 cup chopped sundried tomatoes or capsicums
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or parsley leaves
1 tablespoon capers
0.25 cup pesto
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Grease a 6-cup capacity ovenproof lasagne-style dish.
- Cook the pasta in boiling salted water for 10-12 minutes until al-dente. (The pasta will not soften further once it is mixed with the eggs and cream, so ensure it is tender at this stage). Drain and scatter into the prepared dish.
- In large a bowl, beat together the eggs, cream or mascarpone and cheese and season well with salt and pepper. Scatter the pasta into the prepared dish and pour over the cream filling.
- Place in a water bath (bain marie) and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes until almost set.
- Toss together the olives, sundried tomatoes or capsicums, basil or parsley and capers. Sprinkle over the top before serving. Dollop the pesto around and serve hot with a crisp leafy salad and/or a plate of sliced juicy tomatoes dressed with salt, pepper and a little olive oil.