Creamy Macaroni and Cheese
Creamy Macaroni and Cheese
Julia MoskinTime 1 hour 40 minutes Yield 6 to 8 servings.
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
My fantasy of what this dish should be: nothing more than tender elbows of pasta suspended in pure molten cheddar, with a chewy, golden-brown crust of cheese on top.
view this recipe on NYTCooking.com
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup cottage cheese (not lowfat)
- 2 cups milk (not skim)
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- Pinch cayenne
- Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- ½ pound elbow pasta, uncooked.
Preparation
- Step 1Heat oven to 375 degrees and position an oven rack in upper third of oven. Use 1 tablespoon butter to butter a 9-inch round or square baking pan.
- Step 2In a blender, purée cottage cheese, milk, mustard, cayenne, nutmeg and salt and pepper together. Reserve ¼ cup grated cheese for topping. In a large bowl, combine remaining grated cheese, milk mixture and uncooked pasta. Pour into prepared pan, cover tightly with foil and bake 30 minutes.
- Step 3Uncover pan, stir gently, sprinkle with reserved cheese and dot with remaining tablespoon butter. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes more, until browned. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.