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Primo’s Mac and Cheese

This one is gooey and made with a really rich Cheddar sauce that sings with flavor. Especially good when the cheese on top is burnt but chewy. Get the most expensive aged sharp white cheddar you can afford… it’ll be worth it. If you’re in Oakland stop by Ratto’s Deli. 

What you’ll need:

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups warm milk
pepper and salt

1 table-spoon (or more) hot pepper sauce
1/2 cup heavy cream
12 ounces Sharp Cheddar shredded coarse. Don’t use Velveeta.
1 lb (dry) penne noodles 
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

In heavy saucepan over low heat, melt butter.
Add flour, stir with a rubber spatula 3 minutes or until roux is frothy and taste of raw flour is gone.
Gradually stir WARM milk into roux.
Turn up heat - stir until sauce is just at boiling point.
Turn down heat

Add pepper and hot-pepper sauce. Don’t use pepper sauce too sparingly, it will help bring out the cheese taste.
Stir in heavy cream - simmer briefly or until flavors are blended.
Stir 3/4 of the cheese into simmering sauce until melted. Don’t use Velveeta!
A tip when you’re cooking the noodles - test, test, test! Don’t let them cook too long. In fact better to undercook them

Combine cheese sauce with macaroni. 
Pour into buttered 2-quart dish. 
Sprinkle top with remaining 1/4 cheddar cheese and then the Parmesan. 
Bake in preheated oven @ 350 degrees for 25 minutes, then turn the broiler to high and wait until you see a nice brown top.

Let it set 10 minutes 

Enjoy.