What would you expect to find on the table of Fiesta Royalty? How about Macaroni & Cheese? Genny Campbell, wife of Nick Campbell (King Antonio LXVIII – pictured with me above) sent this recipe to me as one of his favorites. Genny says it’s easy and quite cheesy. It’s from Food Network star Giada De Laurentis and has been a favorite of the Campbells and their sons for some time. I can’t wait to try it!
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Butter a 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish and set aside. Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Drain well, but do not rinse.
Whisk the cream, milk, flour, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper in a large bowl to blend. Stir in 1 cup Fontina, ½ cup Parmesan, ½ cup mozzarella, ham (if using), and parsley. Add the noodles and toss to coat. Transfer the noodle mixture to the prepared baking dish. Toss the re-maining 1 cup Fontina, ¼ cup Parmesan, and ¼ cup mozzarella in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over the noodle mixture. Bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheese melts and begins to brown on top, about 20 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Ingredients
- Butter, for greasing dish
- 12 ounces wide egg noodles
- 3 cups whipping cream
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 1 tablespoon flour
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups (packed) finely grated Fontina
- ¾ cup (packed) finely grated Parmesan
- ¾ cup (packed) grated mozzarella
- 4 ounces cooked ham, diced (optional)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves