Macarrones con queso y beicon al romero

Ingredientes

• 3/4 pound pasta (we used cavatappi noodles)
• 4 strips thick-cut bacon, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves removed and roughly chopped (about 3 Tablespoons)
• 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• kosher salt and pepper to taste
• 2 1/2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese

Preparación

1. 1

   --- Cook the pasta: ---

2. 2

   Cook pasta in a large pot filled with very salty water until al dente. Drain and set aside.

3. 3

   Return pot to stove over medium heat. Add diced bacon and cook, stirring frequently, until crispy.

4. 4

   Use a slotted spoon to remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Leave the bacon fat in the pot: This will be the fat that we use to build our roux! You want about 3 Tablespoons of bacon fat left in the pot; if you have quite a bit more than this, feel free to spoon a bit out.

5. 5

   --- Build the sauce: ---

6. 6

   Add garlic and rosemary to the pot with your bacon fat. The bacon fat will be quite hot: keep an eye on the garlic and stir frequently to ensure it doesn't burn (you can reduce the heat or turn it off entirely for a minute if you need to). Cook until garlic has softened and rosemary is fragrant, about one minute.

7. 7

   Add flour to pot and stir to form a paste. (This is our roux, which will help the sauce thicken. Don't worry if the bacon fat foams up a bit or looks different than a traditional flour-and-butter roux here!)

8. 8

   Whisk milk into roux a little at a time, whisking constantly to work out any flour lumps. Whisk in a pinch of salt and some fresh cracked black pepper.

9. 9

   Bring sauce to a low simmer and cook, stirring frequently, for 6-10 minutes until it thickens.

10. 10

    Remove pot from heat and stir in shredded cheese. Stir until cheese has melted.

11. 11

    Add cooked pasta to sauce and stir to combine. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Top with crispy bacon and serve immediately.