MACARONI CHEESE

Well really it had to start like this, this had to be the first recipe i posted as it was the first recipe I ever perfected to the point that I could invite people round (sometimes even lure them) simply to eat it! and it's from my first ever cookbook I owned. okay so this recipe is based on an original recipe by Silvana Franco and is from her amazing book 'Family Food'..... i have just realised i have so much to say for her cooking that i'm just going to have to review her and her books rather than go well off point in this post which is meant to be about the awesome soul comfort food that is....the good old macaroni cheese!

*interesting facts*

 - macaroni cheese is called 'mac 'n' cheese' in the u.s.a and 'macaroni pie' in the caribbean.
- this amazing cheese and pasta dish has been found in italian medieval history and has been popular in the u.k since the victorian era.

 RECIPE

this recipe is a 'cheat' version of macaroni because the classic cheese sauce is substituted for a tub of marscapone. this version is extra special because it has roasted cherry tomatoes baked into it. i have altered the recipe to my own tastes and needs (eg. feeding a crowd) but is based on Silvana Franco's 'Macaroni Cheese'. if you are making it ahead to cook later turn off the oven at step 3.


INGREDIENTS;
500g bag of macaroni pasta (Sainsbury's and Tesco own brand is great - don't get the skinny cook in three minutes stuff)
200-400g cherry tomatoes (as many as you like)
250g tub of marscapone cheese (it's a creamy cheese, quite thick and rich, delicious! i have substituted a leaner ricotta in the past and it has worked well)
300-400g cheddar cheese (Silvana recommends gouda but that is annoying to find and expensive, so i've always used cheddar. I have used the ready-grated bags before which make it cheaper to make and easier! less washing up is always a bonus for me!)#
2-3 tablespoons dijon mustard (mustard does amazing things when mixed with cheese, just wait and see! Silvana says use dijon and i agree, but english mustard has been used before and some people actually preferred that, so go with your favourite mustard)
olive oil
salt and pepper


TOOLS;
 - a big dish (ceramic or glass)
 - a big saucepan
 - wooden spoon
 - grater
 - a colander
 - a tablespoon


METHOD;
step 1 - okay so first you're going to roast the cherry tomatoes. start by pre-heating the oven to 220''/fan 200''. wash the tomatoes and tip them into a roasting dish (glass or ceramic), drizzle lightly with oil, grind some pepper and salt into the dish and rub the seasoning and oil over the tomatoes. bung the dish in the oven (they will stay in there till their skins are starting to split, 10-15 mins)


step 2 - boil a kettle and pour it into a big pot, add a pinch of salt, bring to the boil. add the macaroni pasta and stir a bit. (macaroni in my experience can get clumped together if not stirred well.) grate your cheese.


step 3 - check the tomatoes, their skins should have begun to split by now. i like to catch them at the stage just before they split. if they are ready take them out of the oven and set the dish down. if you are preparing this for cooking later turn off the oven, if you are planning on eating asap keep it on.


step 4 - when the macaroni is cooked to 'al dente' (which means firm to the bite - not soggy!) drain it with the colander. tip half the macaroni back into the pot then add the grated cheese, marscapone and mustard, tip the rest of the pasta on top. this act of sandwiching the cheeses between the hot pasta makes them easier to stir up. leave it about 10 seconds then stir with the wooden spoon till everything is mixed up nicely, all creamy and nice-smelling and squelchy-sounding. this is the point where everyone can smell what you're cooking!


step 5 - now we're going to mix the tomatoes with the cheesy pasta. if there is excess oil in the bottom of the dish you may want to drain a bit off, but it's not necessary. tip the cheesy pasta mix into the dish of tomatoes, stir around lightly so you don't squish the totmatoes to pulp, then bung the dish back in the oven for a further 30-40 mins or until the cheese bubbles! then my dears, enjoy! :)


serving suggestions: no idea! i never know what to serve this with! i treat this as a main dish but it's traditionally a side dish, any ideas of serving suggestions, let me know!


other ideas to try; 
 - adding a few garlic cloves to the cherry tomatoes before roasting, skins on or off.
- replacing the roasted tomatoes for leeks and onions cooked in a little butter
- for the really rich, special version that was the original recipe use gouda cheese and 375g pasta instead of 500g.