| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 1 hr 20 min |
| Prep: | 20 min |
| Inactive: | 10 min |
| Cook: | 50 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 1 tablespoon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 leeks, thinly sliced
- Bechamel Sauce, recipe follows
- 1/2 cup Gorgonzola, crumbled
- 1/4 cup grated Asiago
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 clove garlic, smashed
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups milk
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Pinch freshly ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a large pot of boiling salted water cook the pasta until al dente, drain and set aside.
- In a skillet over medium heat melt 2 tablespoons of butter and oil and cook the leeks until tender but not browned. In a bowl combine the cooked leeks with the Bechamel Sauce, Gorgonzola, Asiago, thyme, oregano, and parsley. Toss the sauce with the pasta until well coated and season, to taste.
- Grease a 9-inch springform pan with the remaining butter. Fill the springform pan with the pasta mixture and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before removing from the pan and slicing.
- In a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat, melt the butter and saute the garlic for 2 minutes until fragrant, but not brown. Remove the garlic and discard. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the flour to make a roux, cook for 4 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.
- Heat the milk to just below boiling. Pour 1 cup of milk into the roux, whisking constantly as the sauce thickens. Add the rest of the milk, in 1/2 cup portions, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Simmer the sauce over low heat for 8 minutes, stirring the bottom of the pot with a spatula to prevent burning. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cheese, kosher salt and nutmeg to finish the sauce.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 609 |
| Total Fat | 26 g |
| Saturated Fat | 14 g |
| Carbohydrates | 74 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 10 g |
| Protein | 20 g |
| Cholesterol | 60 mg |
| Sodium | 666 mg |
Reviews
My béchamel came out too thin, which didn’t give it the right creamy/cheesy texture for mac and cheese.
How do you add this recipe to the recipe box? The new site is not an improvement.
Can’t imagine that anyone found this dish laking in flavor. How could one not develop flavor with leeks and gorgonzola?
My family found it to be the best I have served.
My family found it to be the best I have served.
Family loves this recipe. I would make it again.
I was really disappointed with how bland this was. I used great quality cheese and followed the recipe exactly, but it seemed very “unflavorful” when you consider the fat content.
At least I’m proud of the fact that the bechemal sauce turned out perfect….this was my first attempt and I was worried that I’d ruin it. I’ll just chalk this up to a learning experience and even though I threw out the entire dish (it was THAT boring) I now will no longer be intimidated by bechemal.
i thought this mac was the best in the world!!!!! i said “mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm”
ha
ha
I am usually delighted with all the recipes I find on this website, but this one was terribly disappointing. Despite the use of gorgonzola (which I love) the dish really lacked flavor. Also, despite cooking it in a springform pan, the whole thing fell apart and should have been baked in a casserole dish. If you have other recipes to try, skip this one.
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