Baked Macaroni and Cheese

As this is my inaugural post, I thought it would be appropriate to use a recipe from my own cook books. The star of my collection is the Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas, which I stole from my mother's extensive collection. (She didn't use it enough.) The book was given to my mother in 1976 by her cousin, possibly the only vegetarian in the family, and she probably only used it a dozen times. The recipe I have chosen to debut is the baked macaroni and cheese. The recipe was recommended to me by my roommate's mother, who when walking by the book shelf in my house saw the Vegetarian Epicure and was shocked to see a copy of it in a 21 year old's house. She swore that is is the best macaroni and cheese ever.

This macaroni and cheese is quite different from the conventional mac and cheese. The Vegetarian Epicure recommends that it be served with a salad dressed with a sharp vinaigrette and good Chianti.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese (adapted from the Vegetarian Epicure)

First step is to prepare the Bèchamel Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 cup minced onions
3 tbs. butter
4 tbs. flour
2 1/2 cups hot milk
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium sauce pan melt the butter, then add the onions and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until they are translucent. Then add the flour and continue cooking for another few minutes stirring briskly with a spoon while the butter absorbs the flour. Remove the pot from the heat until the butter stops bubbling, and then place back on the medium heat and slowly add the hot milk while stirring with a whisk. The sauce should begin to thicken in a few minutes, but if it is still thin after a few minutes, let the sauce come to a boil and continue whisking. The sauce should have thickened after this point. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation of the baked macaroni:

Ingredients:
1 lb. penne pasta
1 cup shredded Parmesan
3 cups shredded mozzarella
1 cup buttered bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Boil the penne until al dente. Butter a 9x13 inch baking pan. Drain the pasta then place back into the pot. Pour the bèchamel sauce over the pasta and stir until the penne is coated. Then add the cheeses as well and coat the pasta. Pour the pasta into the buttered dish. To prepare the buttered bread crumbs, melt a tablespoon of butter in a small frying pan and add the cup of bread crumbs. Stir the bread crumbs until they have absorbed the butter and fry for about 2 minutes. Top the macaroni and cheese with the bread crumbs. Bake for 20 minutes or until browned.