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kosher salt macaroni oregano red pepper cream cheese Cheddar Gruyere marinara sauce tomatoes pepperoni Italian bread crumbs Parmesan
Viewed: 22 - Published at: 6 years agoIngredients
- Kosher salt
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 2 1/2 cups half-and-half
- 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 pound cream cheese, room temperature
- 8 ounces sharp Cheddar, shredded (about 3 cups)
- 3 ounces Gruyere, shredded (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup prepared marinara sauce
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil, roughly chopped, and 1/4 cup sun-dried tomato oil
- 3 ounces pepperoni, thinly sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
- 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Method
- Set an oven rack 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add the macaroni and cook until it is al dente, about 6 minutes.
- Strain, reserving 1 3/4 cups of the pasta water.
- Set aside.
- Heat the half-and-half, oregano and crushed red pepper in a large saucepan over medium heat until the mixture just comes to a simmer.
- Continue simmering until the half-and-half is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes.
- Add the cream cheese and stir until melted.
- Whisk in the Cheddar and Gruyere until all the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Add the macaroni and reserved pasta water to the saucepan and stir to combine.
- (The mixture will look very loose, but the pasta will suck up a lot of the sauce as it bakes.)
- Gently stir in the marinara sauce, sun-dried tomatoes and pepperoni and season with more salt if needed.
- Pour into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish.
- Toss the bread crumbs, Parmesan and sun-dried tomato oil together in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over the macaroni and cheese.
- Bake until the cheese is bubbly and the bread crumbs are lightly browned and crispy, about 10 minutes.
