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Manchego Piquillo Pepper Mac 'n' Cheese Recipe:

8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

  • 6 Tablespoons Butter
  • 1/4 Cup +2 Tablespoons White Rice Flour
  • 2 Cups Milk - I used 2%
  • 2 Cups Half and Half
  • 3 1/2 Cups Manchego Cheese - finely shredded
  • 4 oz Mascarpone Cheese
  • 10 oz Jar Piquillo Peppers - sugar-free reserve 2 - seeds removed - rinsed - roughly chopped
  • 2 1/2 Teaspoons Sea Salt - or to taste - depends on how salty the manchego is
  • 1/4 Teaspoon  Black Pepper
  • 1/2 Teaspoon  Hot Paprika
  • 1 Pound Brown Rice Elbow Macaroni

Topping

  • 1/2 Cup Manchego - finely grated on top
  • 1/2 Cup Marcona Almonds - ground

Instructions

Topping - optional

  1. Grind the almonds in a food processor then add the 1/2 cup of Manchego and pulse to just incorporate.
  2. Set aside in a small bowl.
  3. Rinse the piquillo peppers and remove the seeds.
  4. Dice the reserved three and set aside.

Pasta

  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the pasta and cook for 4 minutes.  You want it to be less than al dente because the pasta will continue to cook in the oven.
  2. Drain, rinse well and set aside.
  3. Put into 3-quart gratin dish.

Sauce

  1. Add the butter to the saucepan on medium-low heat.

  2. When the butter is melted, whisk in the flour and cook the mixture for about 1 minute.  Continue to stir.

  3. Add the milk a little at a time while whisking constantly.  It will clump up a bit, this is ok because it will smooth out!
  4. When the milk is hot and thickened, slowly add the cheese a little at a time making sure to let it melt before adding more.
  5. Stir in the paprika, black pepper and salt.
  6. Continually stir.

  7. In a food processor, add the mascarpone and the peppers except for the reserved 3 peppers. Puree.

  8. Slowly stir into the cheese sauce.

Assemble

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and mix together well.
  3. Sprinkle on half the Manchego/Marcona mixture and then sprinkle on the reserved diced peppers and lastly with the remaining Manchego/Marcona mixture.
  4. Place on the middle shelf and bake for 35 – 40  minutes or until it is golden and bubbly.

Recipe Notes

*You want to make sure to heat the milk slowly by adding a little at a time and the same goes for the cheese.  This is a really important step so the sauce won't break.

*If you aren't into a mac 'n' cheese with texture, omit the ground almonds.