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Spaghetti Western Stars Macaroni, Not Clint

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 11, 2008

Forget the blue box and mosey on over to this diva version of a spaghetti western: creamy mac 'n' cheese spiked with bits of smoky bacon and caramelized onions, then topped with a bubbly crust of pungent gorgonzola cheese.

Gorgonzola is veined Italian blue cheese made from cow's milk. Buttery and crumbly with a salty finish, it's the perfect complement for mild-mannered macaroni bathed in made-from-scratch fontina cheese sauce.

This decadent celebration of all things yum will require a bit of time. So for all you cowgirls who need to rustle up something quick, the divas suggest frying the bacon and caramelizing the onions a day or two before. You can even make a double batch as a sweet 'n gooey pile of golden, caramelized onions is fabulous paired with just about anything - burgers, baked sweet 'taters, folded into your favorite baked beans recipe or quickie-at-the-campfire cheese quesadillas.

Consider this your chuck wagon, gourmet comfort food to balance a day of ropin' and rough riding 'cause even cowgirls get the blues. Yeehaw!

EVEN COWGIRLS GET THE BLUES MAC 'N' CHEESE

1 pound bacon, chopped

1 large sweet onion, chopped

2 teaspoons sugar

Coarse salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

6 tablespoons butter

6 tablespoons flour

5 cups whole milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 pound fontina cheese, grated

1 pound elbow macaroni
11/2 cups crumbled gorgonzola cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees In a large nonstick skillet, fry the bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels, reserving about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat.

In the same pan, add the onions, sugar, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring often until golden and caramelized, about 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir 2 to 3 minutes to combine. Add the milk, salt and coriander, and bring to a simmer, stirring often, until thickened. Add the cheese, and stir until melted. Set aside.

Cook the macaroni according to package directions. In a 13-by-9-inch casserole dish, combine the bacon, onions, cheese sauce and macaroni. Top with crumbled gorgonzola, and bake for 30 minutes. Serves 8 to 10.

Anne-Marie Hodges and Pam Brandon can be reached at divas@culinaryconfessions.net.

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