French Onion Mac and Cheese
…Ok, look, I was going to go into a whole intro before diving into the recipe, but let’s face it the recipe is all that you are here for. I mean, you see the title, I’m marrying French onion soup and mac and cheese into something that will be delicious, so let’s just do it.
Serves 4
8oz finely chopped pancetta
2 large or 4 small onions, thinly sliced
Salt
1/2 pound penne or any pasta you’d like
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
4 tbsp flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup milk
8oz shredded gruyere cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
2 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp thinly sliced chives
Render the pancetta over medium-low heat in a wide oven safe skillet for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to some paper towels, but keep the rendered fat.
Add the sliced onions, give them a pinch of salt and cook for 60-70 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are deeply caramelized. If the onions begin to burn, you may want to add a splash of water to slow that process down. While the onions do their thing, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and preheat the broiler to high.
(I’ve seen people add all sorts of things when caramelizing onions like sugar, vinegar, and even baking soda. If that works for you, fine, but to me good caramelized onions need nothing but low heat, a bit of fat, a bit of salt and time.)
When the water is boiling, add the penne and cook according to the package directions for al dente, or 8-10 minutes. Drain once cooked.
While the pasta cooks, add the butter to the onions and stir in to melt. Make a well in the center of the onions and add the garlic and thyme, let them cook for about a minute or until fragrant.
Whisk in the flour to make a roux, then cook for 30 seconds more to cook out the raw flour taste. Add the chicken stock and milk, stopping now and then to whisk out any lumps of flour, then increase the heat to medium and cook until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Add the cheese, and stir until melted and combined. Taste and season the sauce with salt and pepper, then stir in the pasta and 2/3 of the pancetta until combined.
In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Parmigiano, oil, and the rest of the pancetta. Scatter over the top of the mac and cheese, then broil for 2-3 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are golden and toasty and the sauce is bubbly.
Top with chives then serve!
