Rustic Italian Mac N' Cheese by Artepicure

Ingredients Pasta 5 cups white, whole wheat flour 2 T ground red pepper 1 T salt 6 eggs 3 T olive oil 3 T water Sauce 2 1/2 C milk 1/4 C butter 1/4 C flour 2 C shredded Fontina Val d’Aosta 1 C grated Grana Padano Parmesan 1/2 C diced sun-dried tomatoes 1/2 C minced fresh basil 1 C heavy cream Salt and pepper to taste For Assembly 12 oz. mozzarella cut into 1/8” cubes 1/2 C butter 1/4 C olive oil 1/4 C minced shallots 1 1/2 C panko breadcrumbs Salt and pepper to taste Technique Place the flour, salt and ground red pepper in a large mixing bowl and blend. Form a well in the center and add the eggs, olive oil and water. With a wooden spoon pull the mixture together as much as you can. Turn onto a work surface and knead for approximately 2 minutes or until a smooth ball of dough forms. Wrap with plastic film and allow to rest at room temperature for 1 hour. Meanwhile, place the butter in a saucepan on medium heat until melted. Add the flour, blend with a whisk and cook for 3 minutes stirring constantly. Add the milk in a stream and continue to whisk until fully incorporated. Allow it to come to a simmer while slowly whisking and cook for another 3 minutes. Whisk in the Fontina and Parmesan and stir until melted. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, basil and cream then season with the salt and pepper and set aside, keeping warm. Heat the butter, olive oil and the shallots, listed in the assembly section of the ingredients, in a skillet. Simmer until the shallots are translucent, but not browned, season with salt and pepper and set to the side. Cut the pasta dough into 8 pieces and shape them into 1/2” thick, flat rectangles. For best results use a pasta machine, running the dough through first on the #3 setting, then on the #6 setting, to get a long sheet. A rolling pin can also be used but the machine makes the job easier. Work with one dough rectangle at a time so that the thin sheets don’t dry out while you are shaping the pasta. Cut 2”square shapes out of the sheet, then take each one and roll like a cigarette, and then, using the palm of your hand, roll each one back and forth on the work surface to form pieces approximately 4” long, and a little thinner than a pencil. Set the pasta pieces to the side while you work, dusting them with flour. Turn the oven on and preheat the to 450 ˚F. After all of the dough has been shaped into pasta, bring a large pot of salted water, on high heat, to a boil and add the pasta. Bring back to a boil and cook approximately 9 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. The cooking time will vary with different brands of flour. Drain the pasta, do not rinse. Place in a large mixing bowl and toss with the sauce and 3/4 of the mozzarella cubes. Oil 6, 24 oz. Baking forms and fill with the pasta mix. Top with the breadcrumb mixture and the remaining mozzarella then place in the oven and bake until the tops are browned, about 10 minutes. Serve and savor.