Recipe: Gwyneth Paltrow's Macaroni and Cheese (a few ways)

MACARONI AND CHEESE (A FEW WAYS)

"I grew up looking forward to the nights we had mac and cheese; my mother would pop the supermarket frozen kind in the toaster oven and the bubbling American cheese would go all brown on top. My brother and I used to fight over the crispy bits. In this more Italian-leaning (and preservative-free) version, the ultimate comfort food gets an elegant makeover. I love to serve this in ramekins for individual portions, adjusting the flavors at the end for each member of my family."

1 pound uncooked elbow macaroni (preferably with ridges)
8 ounces mascarpone
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup tightly packed grated Parmesan cheese, plus 1/2 cup for topping
1/2 cup milk Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
FOR VARIATION ADD ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:*
1 cup Basic Tomato Sauce (recipe follows)
1 ball fresh mozzarella, cubed
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1/2 cup Taleggio cheese, broken into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and turn it on to convection if that's a possibility.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the macaroni for 2 minutes less than indicated on the package.

Meanwhile, stir together the mascarpone, nutmeg, and 1 cup of Parmesan in a small saucepan over a medium flame until the cheeses melt together, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the milk and salt and pepper to taste and keep the sauce warm over a low flame. Drain the pasta and combine it with the sauce.

In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan and the bread crumbs. At this point, you can put the macaroni in a large baking dish, scatter the bread crumb topping over it, dot it with the butter, and bake it for 15 minutes and it will be great.

*Or you can do any of the following variations, which can be done in 4-ounce ramekins to make individual servings:

1. Put a layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of the baking dish, then pour the macaroni over the sauce, sprinkle with the bread crumb mixture, dot with butter, and bake for 15 minutes.

2. Mix the mozzarella with the macaroni before pouring into the baking dish. Top with the bread crumb mixture, dot with butter, and bake for 15 minutes. This is also particularly nice with the tomato sauce base as in number 1, above.

3. After you pour the macaroni into the baking dish, tuck in tiny bits of the crumbled Gorgonzola, sprinkle with the bread crumb mixture, dot with butter, and bake for 15 minutes.

4. After you pour the macaroni into the baking dish, put a layer of Taleggio on top, sprinkle with the bread crumb mixture, dot with butter, and bake for 15 minutes.

BASIC TOMATO SAUCE
Makes 4 cups

"This sauce is a simple, perfect tomato sauce. Slow cooked to bring out the sweetness, it is the perfect base for many things in this book and delicious on its own with some penne or spaghetti. My daughter eats this maybe slightly too often my son prefers pesto."

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
4 fresh large basil leaves, divided use
2 cans (28 ounces each) whole peeled tomatoes with their juice
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over low heat, add the garlic, and cook for 5 minutes.

Add 2 of the basil leaves and stir for a minute. Add the tomatoes and their juice and the 2 remaining basil leaves. Turn the heat to high. Bring the sauce to a boil, turn the heat to low, season with salt and pepper, and let it bubble away on low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and crushing the tomatoes with your wooden spoon. If not using for the recipe above, cool and refrigerate.

Source: My Father's Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family and Togetherness by Gwyneth Paltrow