Mac 'N' Cheesee

Probably, the combination of pasta and cheese is one of the best ever known! Really, what could be better than pasta and cheese?! Maybe baked pasta and cheese?!:) So, I'm going to introduce an absolutely skinny, well-balanced, healthy and scrumptious American variation of a baked pasta! Pardon? What are you talking about? Am I kidding you?! Well, at least it scrumptious, eh! Definitely, it's a pretty outrageous recipe, but it's possible to indulge yourself sometimes...:) I used the recipe from the book Jamie's America, but omitted some ingredients as bread crumbs and tomatoes.

Ingredients:

4 cups elbow macaroni;

1 quart milk (2,5%);

1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese;

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese;

3 tablespoons butter;

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour;

10 garlic cloves (peeled and thinly sliced);

6 bay leaves;

Salt an black pepper;

Ground nutmeg (optionally)

1. In a large saucepan melt the butter, over a low heat. Add the flour and turn the heat up to medium, stirring the flour by a whisk all the time, 1-2 minutes or until you get  a paste. 

2. Add the garlic and keep cooking, stirring occasionally  until the garlic a little bit golden and sticky, around 5 minutes.

3. Add the bay leaves.

4. Slowly pour in milk, stirring with a whisk to get a smooth sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, then leave it on a low heat to simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper and add some nutmeg if desire. 

5. In a large saucepan of salted water cook the pasta following the instructions on the package. Drain the pasta (reserve 1 cup of water) and add it to the sauce. Stir. Preheat an oven to 185-190C.

6. Add the grated cheeses, stir. If the sauce is too sticky and thick, add a splash of the reserved water.

7. Transfer the pasta into a deep dish. Bake it for 30 minutes, until golden and crispy.