PASTABOIS 19
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PASTABOIS 19 〰️
#19: Macaroni
Macaroni is a small, curved tube of pasta, usually about 2–3 cm long, with a hollow centre that soaks up sauces and cheese like a tiny, joyful sponge. Traditionally made from durum wheat semolina and water, its shape ranges from slightly bent elbows to more pronounced curves. The most recognisable form is the elbow macaroni. The name “macaroni” comes from Italian dialects (maccheroni), and while variations of tubular pastas are found across Italy, macaroni is most closely associated with Southern Italy and regions like Campania and Calabria, where simple, robust ingredients and portable shapes were favoured for peasant and coastal cooking.
Macaroni gained wider popularity in the 18th and 19th centuries as dried pasta production expanded and trade spread Italian pasta styles across Europe and the Americas. In the United States it became iconic in dishes like macaroni and cheese an easy, comforting staple that transformed the pasta into a symbol of home cooking and convenience.
For PASTABOIS 19 we have kept the classic macaroni in it’s more classic form, in a mac and cheese. Obviously it has to be pumped with flavour so the cheese bechamel mix we have added capers, oregano and pickled peppers to cut through the richness of the dish. Finished in the oven for a crunchy top, this recipe will make sure you never buy the boxed stuff ever again.
MACARONI & CHEESE
MACARONI & CHEESE
Fresh Macaroni
600gm semolina flour
Egg yolks + cold water up to 280gm
Place your semolina in a stand mixer bowl and leave to the side. In seperate bowl add you eggs and water and whisk together until cohesive. Prep your stand mixer with paddle attachment, pour your wet ingredients into your semolina with the stand mixer on low speed. Once wet is all in, bring to medium speed and bring dough together until it resembles a coarse sand (2-3 minutes). You should be able to put it in your hands and have mould quite easily.
Pop your pasta extractor/press on with a macaroni pasta plate and push your dough into it halfway, using a cylinder object to push it in. You want the bottom half of your press full at all times. The first few inches of rigatoni remove as it will be curly and dry, but once thats gone allow your macaroni to fall to a half a thumb length and then cut when you have reached your desired size. Lightly flour and leave to dry out at room temperature.
Cheesy Bechamel
70gm pancetta, finely diced
100gm butter
100gm plain flour
1 litre milk
1 tea spoon grated nutmeg
1 table spoon dijon mustard
70gm mild cheddar, we used an Ossua Iraty Basque
100gm mozzarella
2 tbl spoons capers, roughly chopped
7 pickled mild peppers, roughly chopped
1/2 bunch fresh oregano, washed, just leaves
50gm parmigiano reggiano
Salt
Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius, fan forced.
To create your cheesy béchamel, add your butter to a pot on medium heat. Once it melts, stir in your flour and cook out for a minute (until its come together with butter to create a roux). Add in your milk and whisk continually until its reduced into a glossy béchamel. Turn heat to lowest setting and grate in some fresh nutmeg (I do a lot, but its up to you), whisk in. Add in all of your tasty cheese and stir in. Turn off heat once cheese has melted in.
Into the cheese béchamel add in the capers, mild pepper and oregano and mix through, then add in the macaroni pasta and stir through until everything is well combined, then salt to taste. Add the macaroni and cheese to a deep medium sized baking dish and then cover completely with finely grated parmigiana reggiano. Pop into the oven 15 minutes, before switching oven to 180 degrees Celsius on the grill fan forced function for 5 minutes, or until an even char all over. To serve scoop out onto plate and enjoy.