Mac and cheese sauce is creamy

A great macaroni and cheese requires a perfect melding of the pasta and the cheese sauce. To get that, you'll need to ignore conventional wisdom about cooking pasta until just tender (al dente).

To help the cheese sauce stick to the pasta, the macaroni is cooked until just beyond al dente, which makes it more absorbent and starchier.

The recipe calls for a 3-quart casserole dish, but multiple smaller baking dishes could be used.

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BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Start to finish: 45 minutes

Servings: 6

1/2 cup unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons, divided

2 tablespoons salt, plus more to taste

1 pound elbow macaroni

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 1/2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Ground black pepper, to taste

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided

2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1 cup panko or other coarse bread crumbs

Heat the oven to broil. Use 1 tablespoon of butter to generously coat a 3-quart casserole dish.

Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large stockpot. Add 2 tablespoons of salt, stir briefly, then add the pasta. Cook until tender and just past al dente, about 10 to 13 minutes, or slightly longer than package directions.

Drain the pasta, then transfer it to a large bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over the pasta, then toss to coat. Set aside.

To make the sauce, in a small saucepan over low heat, bring the milk to a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat.

In a medium saucepan over medium, melt 1/2 cup of the remaining butter, using a whisk to swirl it to ensure the butter melts completely and does not turn brown. If the butter begins to brown, lower the heat.

While whisking, sprinkle in the flour. Continue to whisk until the mixture just bubbles, about 2 minutes. Do not let the mixture brown. While whisking, slowly pour in the milk. Continue whisking until there are no lumps.

Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to low and season with salt and pepper. Continue whisking until the sauce reaches the consistency of heavy cream and coats the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes.

Remove the sauce from the heat. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar cheese, all of the Monterey jack and a 1/2 cup of the Parmesan. Whisk until the cheese is completely melted and the sauce is smooth.

Pour the sauce over the pasta and gently toss to coat. Transfer the pasta and sauce, using a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl, to the prepare casserole dish. Set aside.

In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter by microwaving on high for about 20 seconds. Add the bread crumbs and remaining cheddar and Parmesan cheeses. Toss well.

Spread the bread crumb mixture evenly over the pasta. Place the dish on the oven's middle rack and broil for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the edges are bubbly and a crunchy crust forms on top. Cool briefly before serving.

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