Recipe: Macaroni Cheese and Egg Cake

Macaroni Cheese and Egg Cake
Source: The New Pasta Cookbook

1 lb Elbow macaroni; or ziti

Cheese sauce:
2 tbsp Butter
3 tbsp Flour; sifted
3 cups Milk; hot
Salt and white pepper
Nutmeg
1 lb Cheddar cheese; grated
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese; grated
1 tsp Onion; grated
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp Fresh parsley; chopped

Crust:
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese; grated
1/2 cup Bread crumbs
1 Egg; beaten
1/2 lb Mozzarella cheese; grated
3 Hard-boiled egg; sliced

Cook macaroni in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and stir through a little vegetable oil to prevent sticking.

Cheese Sauce: In a small saucepan melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Cook until smooth. Gradually pour in the hot milk, and cook, stirring, until sauce begins to thicken. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste, onion Cheddar, Parmesan, mustard and parsley. continue to cook until thick and smooth. In a bowl combine the pasta with cheese sauce and mix well. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Crust: Mix Parmesan and breadcrumbs together and sprinkle some in a greased loaf pan. Coat the sides well, and shake out the excess. Pour in egg and swirl around the pan to cover breadcrumb mixture. Discard excess, then shake around a final coating of breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Now layer one-third of the pasta in the bottom of the dish and cover this with one-third of the mozzarella. Place half the boiled egg slices in a single layer on top. Repeat this layering, then on the last level of eggs put the remaining pasta and finally the last of the mozzarella. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes, and then run a sharp knife around the edge to loosen it. Carefully turn out onto a warm serving plate and serve in slices.