Macaroni and Fontina Cheese

JoJoStar's Note:

This is what you would call "Adult Macaroni and Cheese", although your kids will love it too. Great dish to bring to a Pot luck. From the Dean and Deluca cookbook

• Total Time: 1 hrs 5 mins
• Prep Time: 45 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 4 small orange bell peppers, trimmed and cut into very thin strips
• 2 small zucchini, cut crosswise into slices and then into thin strips
• 2 small crookneck yellow squash, cut crosswise and then into thin strips
• salt and pepper
• 8 ounces penne
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 4 fresh sage leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 1/4 cups grated italian Fontina cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large non stick skillet over moderate heat and stir in the onion.
3. Add the garlic and cook stirring for 1 minute.
4. Raise the heat slightly and add the bell peppers.
5. Cook stirring for 2 minutes.
6. Add the zucchini and yellow squash and cook stirring for 2 minutes.
7. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
8. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water for 4 minutes.
9. Drain and rinse with cold water.
10. Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over moderate heat until it becomes a medium nutty brown.
11. Stir in the flour, rosemary, sage and bay leaf.
12. Cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
13. Slowly add the milk and cook stirring 4-5 minutes or until the sauce is very thick.
14. Strain the sauce and season with salt and pepper.
15. Return the pasta to the same large pot and stir in the sauce.
16. Add the vegetables and 1 cup of the grated fontina cheese and blend completely.
17. Place the mixture in a deep glass baking dish.
18. Sprinkle with the remaining fontina cheese.
19. Bake for 20 minutes, until the pasta is brown and crusty on top.

Reviews

[Vicki in AZ]

Excellent. It's a little labor intensive, but well worth the effort.