caraway mac and cheese | mac and gubta mtumarta
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
Butter for greasing the casserole
1 pound tubular pasta (chiocciole, also known as pipe rigate, is pictured here, but you could use elbow macaroni, cavatappi, or any other tubular noodle)
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups whole milk
5 ounces chopped or crumbled minouri (or another creamy, crumbly, mild cheese, like feta, ricotta, or fresh goat cheese)
10 ounces grated fontina (or a stringy melting cheese, like non-fresh mozzarella or monterey jack)
5 ounces grated parmesan (or another sharp, dry, salty cheese, like pecorino romano)
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste (if you’re substituting cheeses, adjust the salt as necessary)
Black pepper to taste (about 10 grinds)
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons caraway seeds *
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
3 cups small-diced cubes of seeded rye
The greens of 1 or 2 green onions, sliced thinly (about 1 to 3 tablespoons, to taste)
Instructions
- Bring at least 2 quarts of salted water to a boil, and grate the cheeses while you wait.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Butter a 9 x 13 inch casserole (or another similar oven-proof container, such as a large cast iron dutch oven, capable of holding 3 quarts).
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, pulling it off the heat 1 or 2 minutes shy of al dente. It should be unpleasantly al dente, chewy with a very slightly stale center. Once it’s done, strain it and add it back to the stock pot.
- While the pasta is cooking (or immediately after), melt the 1/2 stick of butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Once it has melted, let it bubble for about 1 to 2 minutes, until the bubbling starts to get a little quieter, and then add the flour and whisk together immediately. Continue to whisk for about 3 minutes, until the mixture turns a little golden.
- Add the milk while whisking everything together. Raise the heat to medium-high and continue to whisk. Once it comes to a simmer and thickens, remove from heat.
- Whisk the minouri into the milk, breaking it up with your whisk against the side of the pan (it’s okay if it still looks a little lumpy).
- Add the fontina, parmesan, egg, salt, pepper, and caraway seeds to the warm milk and stir together to combine.
- Add the cheese sauce to the pasta and stir until it’s very evenly combined.
- Spoon the mac and cheese into the buttered casserole. Smooth it out a little with the back of a spoon.
- Evenly drizzle the 2 tablespoons melted butter over the rye cubes and toss together to coat. Sprinkle the bread cubes over the mac and cheese.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until it’s golden brown and cooked through.
- Garnish with green onions.
Notes
* Caraway is usually easy to find in the spice section of the supermarket (but it’s not flying off the shelves, so check the expiration date). I usually use 1 1/2 teaspoons of caraway, but some people prefer a stronger flavor, so adjust the seasoning to your preference. The amount you’ll add also depends on the flavor of your rye bread. Some rye breads are made with just a few caraway seeds sprinkled on top, while some have a ton of caraway flavor. I once made this with a very subtly flavored seeded rye, and had to use 2 full teaspoons of seeds. Use your own judgment, based on your own preference and your ingredients.
Find it online: https://cardamomandtea.com/109/caraway-mac-and-cheese/