Recipe of the Week: KCTS Cooks Mac and Cheese

A few weekends ago, Brian and I watched the 2009 installment of KCTS Cooks. It's one of our favorite shows of the year. Local chef's, local recipes for 4 hours on public television.

This recipe caught our eye. Who doesn't love a good Macaroni and Cheese?

Enjoy!
Stacy


Morton’s of Chicago Macaroni and Cheese
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:
12 ounces dried cavatappi or other small hollow, ridged pasta
4 tablespoons finely diced yellow onion
1 ¼ cups heavy cream
Kosher salt
6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
4 ounces cream cheese, cut into small cubes
3 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 2/3 cup)
1 ounce Swiss cheese, grated (about 6 tablespoons)
½ tablespoon chile paste, such as sambal oelek
5 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely shredded (about 1 2/3 cups)
8 tablespoons Panko bread crumbs (about ½ cup)

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Drain but leave a little water on the pasta to keep it moist. Reserve another ½ cup of pasta water to thin the sauce. Return to the cooking pot and cover to keep warm.
3. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and sauté the onions for about 1 minute or until tender. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Stir in the cheddar, cream, Parmesan and Swiss cheeses and cook, stirring, until the cheeses melt and are fully incorporated into the cream. Let the sauce reach a simmer and stir in the chile paste. You will have about 2 ½ cups of sauce.
4. Remove from the heat and using an immersion blender or hand-held electric mixer, beat for about 45 seconds until the cheeses and onions are completely blended. The sauce will be thick; thin it with the reserved ½ cup of pasta water and mix well. Season to taste with salt.
5. Ladle the sauce over the pasta and mix well with a rubber spatula. Transfer to a deep, 2-quart baking dish and spread the pasta and cheese evenly. Sprinkle the coarsely shredded cheese over the casserole and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until hot and bubbling around the edges. Serve immediately.