Creamy baked mac and cheese with organic Felicetti corkscrew pasta, smoky cheddar and black pepper cheddar, topped with crispy sourdough breadcrumbs. No seed oils… all butter.

Ingredients

12 oz Felicetti corkscrew pasta

3 tbsp grass-fed butter (for sauce)

2 tbsp organic all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cup whole milk (organic)

6 oz smoky cheddar, shredded

6 oz black pepper cheddar, shredded

1 tsp sea salt (click for discount)

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp ground mustard powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1 cup sourdough bread (torn into rough crumbs)

2 tbsp grass-fed butter (melted, for breadcrumbs)

1/4 tsp sea salt for breadcrumbs

 

Steps

  1. 1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  2. 2. Cook 12 oz Felicetti corkscrew pasta for 9 minutes, about 1 minute less than al dente. It finishes cooking in the oven. Drain and set aside.
  1. 3. Tear or pulse 1 cup sourdough bread (torn into rough crumbs) into rough, uneven crumbs. Toss with 2 tbsp grass-fed butter (melted, for breadcrumbs) and 1/4 tsp sea salt for breadcrumbs. Set aside.
  1. 4. In the same pot over medium heat, melt 3 tbsp grass-fed butter (for sauce). Whisk in 2 tbsp organic all-purpose flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until light golden and nutty. True measure of doneness: the roux should smell like toasted flour, not raw.
  1. 5. Slowly pour in 2 1/2 cup whole milk (organic), whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Cook for 5 minutes on medium, whisking frequently. True measure of doneness: the sauce coats the back of a spoon and holds a line when you drag your finger through it.
  1. 6. Remove from heat. Stir in 6 oz smoky cheddar, shredded, 6 oz black pepper cheddar, shredded, 1 tsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp ground mustard powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp smoked paprika, and 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg. Reserve a small handful of the black pepper cheddar for the topping. Stir until all cheese is melted and smooth.
  1. 7. Fold the cooked pasta into the cheese sauce until evenly coated. Pour into a buttered baking dish.
  1. 8. Scatter the buttered sourdough crumbs and reserved black pepper cheddar evenly over the top.
  1. 9. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes. True measure of doneness: breadcrumbs are deep golden brown and sauce is visibly bubbling at the edges.
  1. 10. Rest for 5 minutes before serving. The sauce will set up and thicken slightly.

 

Notes

Bakes at 400°F alongside the carrots after the lamb comes out. At 400°F the mac runs a bit hotter than typical – pull it at 20 minutes. True measure of doneness: breadcrumbs are deep golden brown and you can see the sauce bubbling at the edges. The sauce will continue to thicken as it rests. The smoked paprika and nutmeg are subtle… they deepen the sauce without announcing themselves.

 

__

Want to learn more about ancestral living and diet? I wrote all about it here.