Macaroni and Cheese

Simple and delicious! I took my mother's time-tested recipe and added my own personal touch. I baked mine in two 10-ounce ramekins, but you can use a casserole dish if you want.

You'll need:

+ short pasta (macaroni, penne, etc.) -- I used 20 0unces)

+ sharp white cheddar, grated (for 2 10-ounce servings, I used 8 ounces of cheddar)

+ parmesan, grated (I used 4 ounces in the sauce, plus another 2 tbsp for the topping)

+ goat cheese, crumbled (chevre-- I used 4 ounces)

+ heavy cream, 1/4 c.

+ S&P

+ bread crumbs, 2 tbsp

+ butter, 1 tbsp

+ flour, 1 tbsp

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bring a pot of water to a boil, liberally salt, and cook pasta until al dente -- about 6 minutes. Strain.

In a saucepan, make a roux using the butter and flour. Before allowing the roux to brown, add the heavy cream; do not allow the cream to boil. Gradually add cheese, whisking constantly, until melted; salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat; fold in pasta and coat in cheese sauce.

Evenly distribute pasta & cheese mixture between ramekins. Sprinkle bread crumbs and reserved parmesan on top; bake for 15 minutes or until cheese begins to brown and bread crumbs are toasty. Enjoy!

-> As a side, I made zucchini slices: J and I cut two zucchini (on the bias) into 1/4" slices and sauteed them in 1 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp of olive oil with 2 cloves of minced garlic. We lightly salt-and-peppered them-- delicious!