June '03 Recipe:Wild Mushroom Macaroni and Cheese (Originally published in Safeway Select, a Sunset Magazine)
Serves 8 to 10
Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes plus 5 minutes resting time

For the mushrooms:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 pound assorted wild or domestic mushrooms, stemmed if necessary, and quartered

For the Basic Mac:
1/2 cup (4 ounces or 1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
4 1/2 cups whole or 2% milk
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme
9 black peppercorns
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon allspice

1 pound (4 cups) finely shredded fontina cheese (substitute 8 ounces smoked fontina for half of the plain fontina, if desired)
5 ounces (1 1/4 cups) freshly grated Parmesan, preferably Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano
Kosher salt, for cooking the pasta
1 pound elbow macaroni, gemelli, or penne rigate
1 1/2 cups Garlic Breadcrumbs (recipe at left)

1. For the mushrooms: in a large skillet, heat the butter over medium-high heat and sauté the shallots and mushrooms, stirring frequently, until tender, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
2. For the Mac: butter a 9 x 13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Put a very large pot of water on to boil for the pasta, and preheat the oven to 375°.
3. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat and add the onion. Cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the onions and stir constantly for 2 minutes, but do not allow the flour to brown. Stir in the milk a little at a time at first, stirring constantly, until you have added about 1 cup. Stir until smooth, then add the bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns, and the remaining milk. Increase the heat to medium-high and keep stirring frequently until the liquid reaches a boil (watch carefully so that it does not boil over). Boil for one minute, then lower the heat so the milk barely simmers and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes more. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes, then strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a very large bowl, working the onions back and forth with a rubber spatula to extract all the liquid possible. Immediately stir in the salt, pepper, nutmeg, allspice, and both of the cheeses, stirring until the cheese is just melted.
4. Add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and the pasta to the boiling water and stir a few times, just until the water returns to the boil. Cook until just al dente, according to the package directions. Drain the pasta in a colander, shaking well.
5. Stir the pasta into the sauce, add the sautéed mushrooms and stir thoroughly until all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish and scatter the top with an even layer of the Garlic Breadcrumbs.
6. Bake for 20 minutes, then transfer to a hot broiler (or turn on the broiler in your oven) and brown for 1 to 3 minutes (watching carefully!), until sizzling and golden. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Garlic Breadcrumbs
Yield: 2 Cups
5 ounces country-style white bread (about 3 thick slices), crusts removed
and pulsed into coarse crumbs in a food processor
2 large cloves garlic, minced or pushed through a garlic press
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1. In a large mixing bowl, toss the crumbs with the garlic, salt, and pepper
until thoroughly mixed. Add the olive oil and work vigorously with a
rubber spatula to force the oil into the crumbs.