Riverside [NOT My Grandma's] Baked Macaroni

My grandma's Baked Macaroni is the best Baked Macaroni. There was a time when I considered putting her recipe here. Then she passed away. I don't want her to haunt me, so I decided to post my second favorite recipe. This one is inspired by the baked Macaroni's at restaurants that are rarely more than a few blocks from the river, like Rocky and Carlo's, Jack Dempsey's, and Joey K's.

 

Ingredients

• 1 12 oz. bag of Rotini or Fusilli
• 2 jumbo eggs (or 2 medium eggs and 1 medium egg yoke)
• 1 lb medium cheddar
• 1 8 oz. block Cabbot Seriously Sharp
• 1 block of Cream Cheese
• 1/2 cup of Butter (1 stick) - clarified
• 1/2 cup of Flour
• 1 can Evaporated Milk
• 1-2 Tablespoons Black Pepper
• Paprika
• Dulse, minced, optional

 

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 325
2. Cook Pasta al dente - Reserve 2 cups of starchy pasta water
3. Make Béchamel
1. Make Blond Roux
2. Add Evaporated Milk and Pasta water
3. Black Pepper
4. Add eggs to béchamel and beat.
5. Add cream cheese and approximately 1/3 of the medium cheddar to the bechamel and stir until smooth.
6. Mix Pasta with Cabbot, black pepper (and optional dulse).
7. Immediately pour pasta mixture into bechamel over medium low heat, and stir until completely mixed.
8. Pour mixture into baking pan, and cover with remaining cheese , dust with paprika, cover with foil, and bake in oven for 30 minutes.
9. Remove foil and set oven to broil until cheese on top is completely melted and lightly browned.
10. Rest for a minimum of 10 minutes before serving.