My introduction to macaroni and cheese was in the ’80s, when I arrived in America. It was the box variety, which at the time tasted delicious. I played around with many variations of this American classic, from learning how to make a good béchamel to figuring out which spices paired well with cheese. And once my taste buds had morphed to sophisticated cheese, I began to enjoy sharp cheddar, raclette or Gruyère — all of which pair beautifully with cumin, kalonji and black pepper. Knopp Branch, a local farm from Wharton, recently brought me an amazing array of fragrant herbs from bergamot sage to holy basil and lemon balm. The addition of chickpea flour to this dish may be unusual but does lend a tremendous depth of flavor.
Serves 6 to 8
ingredients
6 cups cooked macaroni or shell pasta
2 cups heavy cream
4 cups grated cheese (such as Gruyère, Raclette or sharp Cheddar)
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 to 3 cups cooked mushrooms (such as Oyster, Chanterelle, or Portabella)
2 tablespoons chickpea flour
2 serrano chiles, minced
4-plus cups mixed herbs chopped (such as oregano, basil, chives, rosemary, or sage)
instructions
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a large baking dish.
In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta with heavy cream, 3 cups of grated cheese, salt, black pepper, mushrooms, chickpea flour, serrano, and herbs, reserving some herbs for garnish.
Spread onto the baking dish, top with the remaining cup of cheese.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the top appears bubbly and golden.
Let the pasta rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Top with more herbs for garnish and serve.
notes & variations
To cook the mushrooms, slice, toss with some oil, and either sauté or bake until done.
This dish can be prepped up to a day in advance and popped in the oven when ready to eat.
Replace chickpea flour with all-purpose flour.
If using maitake or trumpet mushrooms, slice or chop thinly and use raw — they will cook during baking.
If using dried mushrooms such as morels or chanterelles, reconstitute in warm water, drain, and use without cooking — they will puff up and cook during baking.
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