Award Winning Food, Drink & Travel Magazine

TheTaste.ie
Mac N Cheese Recipe
Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on whatsapp
Share on linkedin

Very Tomatoey Mac n’ Cheese Recipe from The Modern Dairy Cookbook

Most of us would sell our souls for a bowl of mac ’n’ cheese, happily disregarding good intentions. So I hope that this Mac n’  Cheese Recipe in which a tomato sauce replaces the usual rich white one will win friends.

You still get generous pockets of gooey cheese, and a lovely crispy top, but it is altogether fresher. The gold standard here involves making your own slow-cooked sauce, and I would up the quantity, as it freezes beautifully.

Mac N Cheese Recipe

Serves 6

Speedy

Ingredients:

300g macaroni
2 x 350g tubs (or 700g) fresh Napoletana tomato sauce
75g sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
175g gruyère, cut into thin strips a few centimetres long
150g cocktail tomatoes, quartered
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
sea salt, black pepper
25g Parmesan, freshly grated

Method:

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, and preheat the oven to 190°C fan/210°C/ gas mark 6 ½.
2. Add the macaroni to the pan, give it a stir and cook until almost tender, then drain it into a colander and return it to the pan.
3. Toss with the tomato sauce and mix in the sun-dried tomatoes and the gruyère.
4. Transfer to a 30cm oval gratin or other similar-sized ovenproof dish. You could also make it in large individual bowls, so each one serves two.
5. Toss the cocktail tomatoes with the oil and seasoning and scatter over, then top with the Parmesan. Bake for 30–35 minutes until golden and sizzling.

Slowly

Ingredients:

1kg vine tomatoes, quartered
30g unsalted butter
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt, black pepper
300g macaroni
75g sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
200g Comté, cut into thin strips a few centimetres long
150g cocktail tomatoes, quartered
25g Parmesan, freshly grated

Method:

1. Place the tomatoes in a medium saucepan, cover and cook over a low heat for 20–30 minutes, stirring them occasionally, until they collapse. Pass through a sieve or a mouli-légumes and return to the pan, washing it out if necessary.
2. Add the butter, 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and some seasoning.
3. Bring to the boil and simmer very gently, uncovered, for 35–40 minutes until thickened but still of a thin pouring consistency, stirring towards the end. The sauce can be prepared in advance, in which case cover and set aside.
4. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and preheat the oven to 190°C fan/210°C/gas mark 6 ½.
5. Add the pasta to the pan, give it a stir and cook until almost tender, then drain it into a colander and return it to the pan.
6. Toss with the sauce and mix in the sun-dried tomatoes and the Comté. Transfer to a 30cm oval gratin or other similar-sized ovenproof dish.
7. Toss the cocktail tomatoes with the remaining oil and a little seasoning and scatter over, then top with the Parmesan. Bake for 30–35 minutes until golden and sizzling.

RECIPE FROM THE MODERN DAIRY

modern dairy cover Annie Bell recently completed a Master of Science degree in Human Nutrition. In The Modern Dairy, she sets out to overturn the myths and misconceptions surrounding dairy with over 100 innovative recipes that maximise the best ways to consume dairy, to derive all the goodness it has to offer without the pitfalls. anniebell.net

The Modern Dairy by Annie Bell is published by Kyle Books. Photography by Con Poulos.

Recently Added

 Receive regular updates, special offers, reviews, competitions and much more..