Not your average mac and cheese! Here's how to make Wolfgang Puck's pasta dish served at the 2016 Oscars Governors Ball.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
8 ounces elbowmacaroni
6 tbsp unsaltedbutter
3 tbsp all-purposeflour
3 1/2 cups milk
3 tbsp finelychopped black truffle (optional)
1/2 medium whiteonion
1 bay leaf
10 ounces sharpaged white Cheddar, shredded
3 ounces Gruyèrecheese, shredded
1 ounce freshlygrated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshlyground black pepper
A pinch cayenne
2 drops blackwinter truffle oil (optional)
1 cup freshbrioche or challah bread crumbs
2 tbsp finelychopped fresh Italian parsley
Thinly slicedfresh black truffles, for garnish (optional)
Method:
1. Preheat oven to350°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta andcook until al dente, for about 7 minutes. Drain and transfer to alightly oiled baking pan. Set aside.
2. While themacaroni cooks, melt 3 tbsp butter in a separate pot over low heat.
Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 4 minutes.
3. Add milk,chopped truffle, onion, and bay leaf to butter-flour mixture. Raiseheat slightly and simmer for 10 minutes, until creamy, stirringregularly. Discard onion and bay leaf. Remove from the heat.
4. Stir in 3/4 ofaged Cheddar along with other cheeses. Season with salt, blackpepper, cayenne, and truffle oil if desired. Fold in macaroni. Pourinto a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining Cheddar.
Spread the crumb mixture evenly over the top of the macaroni.
5. Melt remainingbutter in a sauté pan. Add breadcrumbs and parsley. Toss to coat.
6. Bake for 30minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for about 5 minutes. Top withshaved truffle, if desired, before serving.
