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.
5. Melt remainingbutter in a sauté pan. Add breadcrumbs and parsley. Toss to coat.Spread the crumb mixture evenly over the top of the macaroni.
6. Bake for 30minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for about 5 minutes. Top withshaved truffle, if desired, before serving.
