PENNE WITH GARROTXA, SERRANO HAM, AND SUN-DRIED TOMATOES
Native to Catalonia, Spain, Garrotxa is a throaty, goaty cheese that imparts an almost Cheddar-like tanginess. A gray mold blankets this pasteurized flavor titan, which gets its smooth earthiness from the lush coastal grasses that feed the goats raised to make it. Cutting away the rind on this firm cheese is easy, and a sharp knife run down the sides will shave off the moldy exterior without sacrificing much of the Garrotxa beneath.Here, Garrotxa coalesces with two other signature Spanish ingredients, sun-dried tomatoes and Serrano ham, to create an ethereal cheese gratin polished with just a touch of butter, milk, and crème fraîche. This recipe isn’t your typical melty, creamy macaroni and cheese; rather, it’s a drier dish that allows the ingredients to mingle coyly while remaining somewhat independent.Yield: serves 2 to 4
Ingredients
- 8 oz penne
- 1 pound Garrotxa, shredded
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup crème fraîche
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- 6 oz Serrano ham slices, torn coarsely by hand into chunks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain through a colander. Set aside.
- In a saucepan, combine cheese, milk, crème fraîche, and butter. Cook over medium-low heat until cheese is mostly melted and you have a creamy sauce. To keep the cheese sauce from breaking, remove the sauce from the heat before the cheese is entirely melted. Season with pepper, adding more to taste if you'd like.
- In a shallow buttered casserole dish, toss pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and Serrano ham. Pour the sauce over the pasta and stir together until combined. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the top is golden brown and bubbling around the edges. Serve immediately.
Notes
RECIPE REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM STEPHANIE STIAVETTI
From Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese