Truffled Mac and Cheese by Rustique Bistro in Aspen, Colorado. Courtesy of Chef Rico Starr and Owner Rob Ittner.
Mac and Cheese is all the rage these days. Unfortunately, this is typically a “diet buster” with many renditions coming in at over 1,000 calories per serving, and this is a “side dish” serving, as in a scoop! Most are loaded with butter, cream, bacon, and other fattening ingredients, designed to taste great, but without any regard to one’s waistline. It’s like the diet went out the door–the hike up Aspen Mountain won’t even make a difference. Here is a lighter version of Mac and Cheese worth trying. You can add in things like lobster if you like, but at least the base is reasonable and tasty!
Notes:
White truffle oil has an intense earthy flavor that wakes up ordinary mac and cheese. We also get extra flavor by steeping the milk with onion and bay leaf.
Serves 6 (serving size: about 1 cup)
Nutritional Information per serving:
Calories 418
Fat 13.2 g
Satfat 6.1 g
Monofat 5.2 g
Polyfat 1.1 g
Protein 18.9 g
Carbohydrate 55.2 g
Fiber 2.1 g
Cholesterol 33 mg
Iron 2.4 mg
Sodium 528 mg
Calcium 325 mg
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups 1% low-fat milk, divided
2 cups sliced onion (about 1 medium)
1 bay leaf
12 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded fontina cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Comte or Gruyere cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons white truffle oil
2 ounces French bread baguette, torn
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions:
1. Heat 1 3/4 cups milk, onion, and bay leaf in a large saucepan to 180° or until tiny bubbles form around edges (do not boil). Cover and remove from heat; let stand 15 minutes.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
3. Strain milk mixture through a colander over a bowl; discard solids. Return milk to saucepan over medium heat. Combine remaining 1/2 cup milk and flour in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Gradually stir flour mixture and salt into warm milk, stirring constantly with a whisk. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; let stand 6 minutes or until mixture cools to 155°. Gradually add fontina and Comté cheeses, stirring until cheeses melt. Stir in pasta and truffle oil. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart broiler-safe glass or ceramic baking dish.
4. Preheat broiler.
5. Place bread, Parmesan cheese, and garlic in a food processor; process until coarse crumbs form. Drizzle with olive oil; pulse until fine crumbs form. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over pasta. Place dish on middle rack in oven; broil 2 minutes or until golden brown.
This recipe is so popular that it has been featured in Cooking Light Magazine!
Enjoy and Bon Appetit!
