KD: A celebration

KD has had it's time. For many years (i.e. during my 4 years in undergrad), it was a mainstay in my cupboard, next to the box of Oreos and the the bag of candied ginger. It was the perfect remedy to late-hunger, afternoon lunch, early dinner, normal dinner...basically appropriate on any culinary occasion. But now, as I begin the venture into adulthood (which, by the way, is a concept that is as vague to me now as it was to me 4 years ago) I have been making a conscious effort to leave the relics of my youth behind. So it is with sadness, that I say goodbye to you, KD, and move towards human food.

In honor of its bastard plastic cousin, I decided to make real macaroni and cheese, the right way. This recipe, from Epicurious(a website that, I am ashamed to say, have neglected over the past couple of weeks), was surprisingly easy to make - M and I had it ready in just under 1 and a half hours, most of which was baking time. We modified the recipe by adding pancetta, substituted pimiento chilies in brine (which were unfortunately unavailable at the the Kingston Commons Loblaws) for sundried tomatoes and used sliced jalapenos instead of of ancho chiles for a spicy kick. Oh, and we added more cheese. Here is out new (and improved!) version.

Pimiento mac and cheese

Modified from Bon Apetit, via epicurious.com 

Ingredients:

1 7-8 oz red bell pepped, deseeded, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 garlic cloves, halved and divided

1/2 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

3 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature, divided

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

3/4 cup drained sundried tomatoes

1 jalapeno, minced

50 g pancetta, sliced

2 tsp hot chilli flakes

1 1/4 cup packed coarsely grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup packed coarsely grated whole-milk mozzarella

8 oz medium shell pasta 

1. Pre-heat over to 400 F.

2. Bring 1/2 cup water, bell pepper, and 1 1/2 cloves garlic to a boil in a small saucepan. Cover, reduce heat to a medium low. Simmer until pepper is soft, about 15 minutes.

3. Toast panko in a small skilled over medium-high heat until golden, stirring it often (about 5-6 minutes). Do not burn it!! Transfer to a small bowl, cool to lukewarm. Rub 1 tbsp butter into the crumbs to coat. Mix in 1/4 cup parmesan.

4. Transfer bell pepper mixture to a blender. Add sundried tomatoes and a bit of water (about 1 tbsp), 2 tbsp butter, some hot chilli flakes and1/2 garlic clove. then add cheddar and 1/4 cup parmesan. Blend until the sauce is smooth and season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. Bring 4 cups water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente, aout 7-9 minutes; drain.

6. Stir sauce, jalapeno, pancetta and mozzarella into pasta, season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle on breadcrumb topping.

7. Bake pasta until the topping is crisp and sauce is bubbling, about 25 min.

Indulge.

Hello, beautiful