lt Mac And Cheese
Bacon and melted cheese is a magical pairing, but many bacon mac and cheese recipes seem intensely salty or cloying. BLT mac and cheese … now that’s a whole different story! Tomatoes and fresh basil brighten up the dish for a much better balance. The dish is still very rich, which is why we include the “L” as a simple, crisp salad served alongside. To keep the pasta from absorbing too much liquid, we assemble the casserole at the last minute and brown it in a hot oven.
Ingredients
Serves 6
- ½ pound cellantani or similar curly pasta
- 6 slices bacon coarsely chopped (about 1½ cup)
- 2 leeks halved lengthwise and sliced, white and light green parts only (about 1½ cup)
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¾ cup half-and-half
- ¼ cup tomato sauce
- 1 cup mascarpone cheese 8 ounces
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup packed chopped basil leaves
- ¼ cup dry bread crumbs
- 6-8 cups baby arugula or baby spinach washed and dried
- Sage Dressing made with basil, or substitute your favorite commercial vinaigrette
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Lightly grease a deep (9×13 inch) casserole or baking dish.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add the pasta and cook, according to package directions, until al dente.
- Drain.
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until just starting to crisp, about 6 minutes.
- Add the leeks and cook until they are softened, 2-3 minutes.
- Add the garlic and pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute more.
- Stir in the half-and-half and tomato sauce until well combined.
- Add the mascarpone cheese, and simmer, stirring constantly until it is melted.
- Remove the pan from the heat, add ¾ cup of the Parmesan cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Combine the sauce, cooked pasta, cherry tomatoes, and basil and gently toss to coat.
- Transfer to the prepared casserole or baking dish and sprinkle with the bread crumbs and remaining ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese.
- Bake until bubbling at the edges and is browned on top, about 15 minutes.
- In a large bowl, toss the arugula or spinach with vinaigrette.
- Serve the greens alongside warm portions of pasta.