Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Mac + Cheese: Molto Italiano Edition!

So, here I am in Montreal, the city that inspired my quest for the perfect mac+cheese two years ago. I haven't posted a new mac + cheese recipe in aeons, and I have not yet succeeded in finding that perfect recipe.  That's partly because Phin, who can only take a little cheese, basically begged for mercy.  So, I was totally surprised recently when he announced that he would be making  mac+cheese while I was busy sewing.



The recipe that he picked out, Mario Batali's Ziti al Telefono, is really the love child of the classic Italian-American baked ziti and a mac + cheese. What's not to love? Why it's "al telefono" is a mystery to me. Maybe because it's so good you want to call your friends and gloat. Who knows?

What's unique about this recipe when seen from the ziti point of view is that you make a Bechamel (besciamella) sauce for it.



What's unique when seen from the mac + cheese side of things is that you make a basic tomato sauce for it.



Then you basically blend the two together, add a bunch of mozzarella and bake it until bubbly, like both ziti and mac+cheese.


We also added some meatballs and sausage (Phin is a carnivore at heart.)



Top with some cheese and bake until bubbly. 


And then you tuck in to a big warm bowl of the stuff. I have to say, this was definitely the best ziti I've ever eaten. It was creamy and rich without being too heavy and cheesy. It definitely wasn't a classic mac + cheese, but it absolutely satisfied that craving for warm cheesy goodness.



So, consider this your call to try this recipe

I'm hoping to get a bit of fabric shopping tomorrow if work permits. Stay tuned! 

3 comments:

marcy harriell | oonaballoona said...

oh god i hate you. i'm starving, it's 7pm, and we haven't even THOUGHT about dinner yet. not even a go-to frozen pizza in the fridge.

hope you get to shop in montreal, i love it there....

puu said...

definitely not drooling on the keyboard. nope, not me. :-)

try scandale in montreal. the clothes there are total inspiration--they are pricey, but full of wonderful ideas.

Jean said...

This looks so decadent yet so good! I loved your prior post about SF -- I was just at the airport and saw the sewing exhibit as well. Such a fun surprise!