Macaroni With Wisconsin Asiago Cheese

Mild, slightly tangy Wisconsin Asiago is a cheese of excellent quality, and it adds special flavor to this dish. The recipe is from New York restaurant, Canteen.

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 7  tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1  lb  cavatelli (pasta)
• 1⁄4 cup flour, plus
• 2  tablespoons flour
• 1  quart  whole milk
• 2  teaspoons dry mustard
• 1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1  dash Tabasco sauce
• 1  tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
•  kosher salt
•  fresh ground pepper
• 2  cups  grated aged wisconsin asiago cheese (1/2 lb)
• 1  cup  grated sharp white cheddar cheese (1/4 lb)
• 1 1⁄3 cups  grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese (5 1/2 oz)
• 3⁄4 cup  coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1⁄3 cup  minced fresh chives
• 1  cup panko breadcrumbs (Japanese bread crumbs)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter six individual gratin dishes.
2. Boil the pasta until al dente. Drain and cool.
3. In a medium saucepan over moderately low heat, melt 6 Tab of the butter. Add the flour and cook, stirring, 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk and raise the heat to high. When the milk begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium and cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened. Be careful that the milk doesn't burn. Add the mustard, cayenne, Tabasco, and Worcestershire and season with salt and pepper.
4. In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, sauce, Asiago, Cheddar, 1 cup of the parmigiano-reggiano, the parsley, and chives. Spoon into the buttered gratin dishes. Mix together the bread crumbs and the remaining parmigiano-reggiano and sprinkle over the pasta. Dot lightly with the remaining butter and bake on the middle shelf until the crumbs are lightly browned and the sauce is bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes.