Casa M Ultimate Smoked Mac and Mornay.
Smoke half this creamy mac and cheese to turn everyday comfort food into something with real bite and character
Smoke half this creamy mac and cheese to turn everyday comfort food into something with real bite and character
Ingredients
Ingredients
- FOR THE PASTA:
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta
- water
- salt
- FOR THE ROUX:
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup all-purpose coconut flour
- FOR THE BECHAMEL:
- 4 cups half-and-half
- FOR THE MORNAY:
- 8 oz Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 8 oz Gruyère cheese, 1/4” cubes
- 1-1/2 Tablespoons Ace Kickstart®
- 6 jalapeño chiles, stemmed, seeded, diced
Method
-
01
Boil salted water for pasta
8 minWater heats while you gather ingredients.
-
02
Par-cook rigatoni to half doneness
6 minDrain and rinse immediately with cool water.
-
03
Make blonde roux with oil and flour
5 minStir constantly until aromatic; do not scorch.
-
04
Whisk in half-and-half and simmer for 20 min
20 minStir constantly until béchamel coats the back of a spoon.
-
05
Add cheeses, Kickstart, and jalapeños to mornay
4 minStir until smooth and creamy, then remove from heat.
-
06
Grease cast iron baker and layer pasta
3 minYou want the rigatoni standing upright in that greased cast iron, not laying flat — that lets the smoke and sauce work into every tube when it hits the heat.
-
07
Pour mornay over pasta and tap to fill rigatoni
2 minPour slow and steady, then tap the pan on the counter a few times to let that creamy mornay settle down into all those pasta tubes; you're looking for a slight jiggle on top, not a lake.
-
08
Smoke at 160°F for 30 min
30 minUncovered.
-
09
Smoke at 300°F for 90 min to 200°F internal
90 minUncovered; finish at 200°F internal temp.
-
10
Cool at room temp for 15 min to set
15 minThis rest firms up the cheese sauce just enough to hold together when it smokes — skip it and you'll get a separated, greasy mess halfway through the cook.
From Mike's Notebook
Par-cooking the rigatoni to half doneness lets it finish cooking in the smoker without turning to mush.
Tap the baking dish after pouring mornay over pasta to fill the hollow centers — smoke cooks them, not boiling water.
Cool at room temp before slicing; the mornay sets up enough to hold shape, otherwise it stays loose.