Ingredients
Units
Scale
ALL Ingredients should be at Room Temp.
- 8oz Elbow Macaroni (see NOTES 1 for details)
- 4 pieces of bacon (see NOTES 2 for details)
- 7oz smoked Gouda Cheese [shredded]
- 1 oz cheddar cheese [shredded]
- 3 tablespoons reserved bacon fat (see NOTES 3 for substitutions)
- 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk (see note 4 for substitutions)
- 1 cup Chicken Stock (see NOTES 5 for substitutions)
- 1/4 tsp Chinese hot mustard (see NOTES 6 for substitutions
- sea salt (to taste)
- freshly ground black pepper (taste)
- 1/2 cup pasta water (this is from the pasta you cooked.)
- Parsley for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the chopped bacon on medium heat in a 3 Quart sauté pan or a well-seasoned 12 inch cast iron skillet until crisp. Take out the bacon pieces and lay them on a paper towel (reserve 3 Tablespoons of bacon fat).
- Boil the elbow macaroni 2 minutes less than al dente (take a glass measuring cup, I use a 2 cup so I can get a good amount of extra just in case I need it, and set it aside)
- As the elbow macaroni is cooking, add the all-purpose flour to the heated bacon fat. Whisk and cook for about 2 minutes.
- Slowly add the chicken stock while continuously whisking.
- Add the Chinese hot mustard and continue whisking.
- Add all the shredded cheese and continue to whisk until all the cheese is completely melted and becomes a thick sauce (it should be reminiscent of alfredo sauce but stringy from the cheese) about 5 minutes
- Your elbow macaroni should be done cooking during this, add the noodles, directly from the water into the sauce (this way some of the water from the pasta gets incorporated to the sauce). Stir until completely mixed.
- add sea salt and black pepper to taste.
- Add the whole milk and half the bacon. Fold until fairly mixed together. Turn off the heat (If the sauce seems dry, add some of the pasta water to the sauce. Stir until incorporated).
- Top with remaining bacon and chopped parsley
- Serve immediately
Notes
- Cavatappi, fusilli, casarecce, or a 1:1 ratio of any gluten-free pasta
- you can omit the bacon if you’re out or don’t want it. If you do, see NOTES 3 for details on replacing the reserved fat.
- 1:1 ratio of extra virgin olive oil, ghee, or melted butter
- whole milk can be replaced with the following ratios:
- ½ cup + 2 Tablespoons skim milk + ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons half and half
- ⅔ cup 1% (low fat) milk + ⅓ cup half and half
- ¾ cup 2% milk + ¼ cup half and half
- ¾ cup + 2 Tablespoons skim milk + 1⁄8 cup heavy cream
- 1:1 ratio of Vegetable stock
- 1:1 ratio of yellow mustard or dijon mustard.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: American
