This recipe is one I came up with when I was trying to use up odds and ends that I found in the fridge. I rustled around one evening and found no fewer than four open bags of grated cheese. How does this happen? Oh well--however it happened, I came up with this recipe for Mac and Trees and it's a keeper!
Boil well-salted water for pasta and cook pasta according to package instructions. At the last couple of minutes before the pasta is done, add the "trees" and cook along with the pasta. Drain pasta and trees and set aside.
Saute the pancetta in a large, heavy sauce pan until it's crisp.
Add the flour and mix thoroughly to incorporate flour into the fat. Continue to cook for a minute or so, stirring constantly, so as not to let the flour brown.
Add milk to the resulting roux and whisk until incorporated, watching for lumps. Adjust milk as necessary--you want the mixture to be thick, but not gloppy.
Add cheese and stir to mix. Allow the cheese to melt into the cream sauce, stirring frequently and watching the heat to make sure the sauce doesn't separate.
In a mortar and pestle, add the sweet basil and lemon-pepper. Grind until the sweet basil is somewhat broken down. Sprinkle over the sauce and stir to incorporate.
Return pasta and trees to their original pot and pour the cheese sauce over top of the whole thing. Mix thoroughly and taste for salt and pepper--add as needed. And that's a YUM!! Enjoy with a nice Pinot Noir, or better yet--make it a party and open up a bottle of champagne--trust me--it goes great with this dish!
Recipe Card powered by
Keri Williams
Food Blogger
Hi! I'm Keri--thanks for visiting my site! I'm an avid cook with a passion for meal planning and resourcefulness in the kitchen. I hope you enjoy my menu ideas and recipes!
