I’ve made my Parmesan Macaroni dish a few times for parties, and I make it very often for my family on a regular basis. This recipe is way better than any boxed mac and cheese you could buy from the grocery store!

The secret to making it taste so good is the baked fresh thyme I have in the pasta. The fresh herbs brings this dish to a new level that will totally knock your friends and family out of the park!

To give the final dish a good crust, you can always keep it under the broiler for just a couple minutes to give it that extra golden brown, bubbly cheese look.

 

Ingredients:

1 pound short, textured pasta (macaroni, cavatappi, ziti rigate or penne rigate)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups milk, warmed, or 2 cups milk and 1 cup heavy cream

12 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, grated

2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup grated Gruyere, sharp cheddar or Emmenthaler (or your favorite hard cheese)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/2 cup plain dry breadcrumbs

 

Instructions:

Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until barely al dente, about seven to nine minutes. Drain, return to the pot and set aside.

Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the butter in a medium pot over low heat. When the butter has melted completely and begins to sizzle, add the flour and whisk until combined. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to bubble, about one minute. Add half the warm milk in a slow, steady stream, whisking until the mixture is smooth and begins to thicken, about two minutes. Add the remaining milk, whisk again until smooth and increase the heat to medium-high, stirring frequently, until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens; it should coat a spoon. Remove the sauce from the heat and add half the mozzarella, half the Parmesan and all of the cheddar, whisking constantly to prevent the cheese from becoming lumpy. When the sauce is completely smooth, add salt and pepper to taste and 2 tablespoons of the thyme.

Pour the sauce over the pasta in the pot and stir to combine completely. Spoon half the pasta into a large ovenproof skillet, or a roughly 9-by-12-inch baking dish or several smaller dishes — ramekins work really well — and arrange the remaining mozzarella evenly over the pasta. Pour the remaining pasta over the cheese layer and spread evenly.

Mix the remaining Parmesan cheese, the remaining 2 teaspoons thyme and the breadcrumbs together in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the top of the pasta. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil evenly over the crust.

Bake the pasta for 30 to 40 minutes (smaller dishes will bake in 15 to 20 minutes), or until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is golden brown. Serve hot.

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Quick Tip: Use a whisk to make your cheese sauce to evenly break up the flour and oils in the cheese.

Recipe and image courtesy of: WBUR