I make this at the bar I work at and it is truly a big hit.
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons parsley chopped
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 6 slices bacon
- 4 garlic chopped
- 2 shallot chopped
- 2 tablespoons ap flour
- 6 cup half-and-half cream
- 1 teaspoon thyme chopped
- 8 ounces pepperjack cheese shredded
- 1 pound cheddar cheese, sharp shredded
- 4 ounces blue cheese
- kosher salt and black pepper as required
- 1 cup bleu cheese
- 1 cup parmesan shredded
- 1 cup feta cheese
- Carbohydrate 55.59789125 g
- Cholesterol 257.4615 mg
- Fat 76.218651874775 g
- Fiber 0.854912513136864 g
- Protein 51.796366875 g
- Saturated Fat 44.5267351249689 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (433g)
- Sodium 1864.5595 mg
- Sugar 54.7429787368631 g
- Trans Fat 4.9533641249939 g
- Calories 1113 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350?.
- Cook pasta according to instruction. Drain and rinse in cold water.
- Create a roux with olive oil and flour. Cook shallot and garlic in roux for about 1 minute. Whisk in Half & Half and Thyme into roux. Reduce by a third. Stir in cheddar, 4 oz blue cheese and pepperjack. Stir until cheeses are melted, creamy and thicked. Remove heat. Season to taste. DO NOT BURN.
- Gently stir pasta into cheese sauce. Sprinkle some of the blue, feta and parmesan into the mix. Pour mixture into a 13x9 pan. In a small bowl, mix butter, bread crumbs and parsley. Cover mixture with remaining cheese and bread crumb mixture. Bake for about 25 minutes or until bubbly and brown.
Adding cold cheese directly to boiling liquid causes proteins to seize and fats to separate into an oily slick. Achieving a smooth emulsion requires managing dairy proteins and starch ratios carefully. When building the base, cook the flour and oil mixture for a full minute to eliminate the raw taste of the grain before introducing the half-and-half.
Controlling Dairy Emulsions
Shredding blocks of sharp cheddar, pepper jack, and blue cheese by hand prevents the anti-caking agents found in pre-bagged varieties from interfering with the sauce. Whisk the cream steadily into the roux while simmering over medium-low heat until the liquid reduces by one-third. Remove the pan entirely from the heat source before stirring in the cheeses to ensure the residual warmth melts them smoothly without breaking the emulsion. Adjust portions proportionally when scaling quantities up or down, keeping the ratio of flour to dairy consistent to maintain proper thickening power.
- Bake the assembled dish in a 350-degree oven for 25 minutes until bubbling occurs at the edges.
- Rinse cooked penne pasta in cold water immediately after draining to halt cooking and prevent starches from making the noodles sticky.
- Combine melted butter with panko bread crumbs and chopped parsley in a separate bowl before scattering over the top layer for crispness.
