Recipes

Although it's not a true—blue, all—American macaroni and cheese because it's made with wide egg noodles rather than the more traditional elbow macaroni or small shell pasta, this is probably the version I make most often. It's a dish I fell in love with when I first had it years ago at Harry's Bar in Venice. Later I re-created it at home as the ultimate comfort food and also to bring back memories of Venice.

Butter for the pan
12 ounces wide egg noodles
2½ cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups (packed) grated fontina cheese
¾ cup (packed) finely grated Parmesan cheese
¾ cup (packed) grated mozzarella cheese
4 ounces cooked boiled ham, diced (optional)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Butter a 9 x 13 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Drain well (do not rinse).

Whisk the milk, cream, flour, salt, and pepper in a large bowl to blend. Stir in 1 cup of the fontina, ½ cup of the Parmesan, ½ cup of the mozzarella, the ham, and parsley. Add the noodles and toss to coat. Transfer the noodle mixture to the prepared baking dish. Combine the remaining 1 cup of fontina, ¼ cup of Parmesan, and ¼ cup of mozzarella in a small bowl and toss to blend. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over the noodle mixture. Bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheese melts and begins to brown on top, about 15 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

6 servings

More from Everyday Pasta:

Farfalle with Spicy Sausage and Kale

Gnocchi with Thyme Butter Sauce

Excerpted from Everyday Pasta
Copyright © 2007 by Giada De Laurentiis. All rights reserved.