Anne Burrell's Killer Mac and Cheese

Lorraine of AZ's Note:

This recipe is not found on the Food Network where Anne demonstrates her cooking skills, but in her new cookbook "Cook Like a Rock Star." I really like Anne's show(s). She is funny but she really gets her points across. This recipe sounds great to me, so I am putting it here for safe-keeping.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 50 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• olive oil, extra virgin
• 6 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
• 3 tablespoons butter, unsalted
• 1 onion, cut in 1/4-inch dice
• kosher salt, as needed
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 quart whole milk, plus more as needed
• 1 lb pasta shells or 1 lb other short pasta
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, freshly grated
• 2 cups Fontina cheese, freshly grated
• 1 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• Tabasco sauce, to taste

Directions:

1. Drizzle a bit of olive oil in a large saucepan. Add bacon and bring to medium heat. Stir bacon occasionally. When crisp and brown (6-8 minutes) remove bacon from pan. Drain. Do not discard bacon fat!
2. Add butter and onion to pan with the fat. Season with salt and cook till onions are soft and aromatic (8-10 minutes). Add flour and cook stirring 4-5 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk, season with salt. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer on low heat 8-10 minutes more.
3. In the meantime, bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook 1 minute less than the package directions stipulate. Drain and reserve.
4. Add the three cheeses to the milk mixture and whisk to combine. Add mustard and Tabasco; taste and adjust seasonings. If mixture is too thick, add more milk. Stir in bacon and pasta. Mixture should be very creamy and flavorful. Serve immediately or transfer to a baking dish or ramekins and reheat in a 375 degree oven.