This is a really FORKING amazing recipe. A few headlines that I read about the recipe were, “Ottolenghi reinvents Mac ‘N’ Cheese.” It is truly different and is far more complex than your even good macaroni and cheese. For this macaroni and cheese you don’t make the white sauce……. Instead you boil the pasta in milk and the pasta starch thickens the sauce……Then when you add the Middle Eastern spices, and the cilantro lemon pesto spiced with za’atar, and the crispy onions this pasta rocks and rolls………In case you don’t know Yotam Ottolenghi is a genius. He is one of the most talented chefs out there. He also is a multi award wining Cook Book Author, chef, and restauranteur.

I almost followed the recipe exactly….As I was researching the recipe I did find some slight differences from different websites but nothing that I would consider a major change. I did the recipe posted on Food52 because they have Yotam Ottolenghi and Noor Murad in a video making this recipe. I did only two changes….not because I wanted to change the recipe but due to what I had at home. I used spaghetti instead of the cavatappi or fusilli dry pasta because all I had at home was spaghetti…..I do recommend to NOT to use spaghetti like I did because I think spaghetti has more surface than the short curly pastas recommended. I think that the spaghetti gave off more starch and my sauce might have thickened more than it would with the recommended pasta. The only other change I made was that I used non fat milk instead of full fat milk but I don’t think that changed things up too much. It’s not really a part of the recipe to make the onions BUT IT IS ESSENTIAL TO TOP WITH CRISP ONIONS. In the beginning read before the recipe they say to slice very thinly a couple of onions and toss two tablespoons of cornstarch and fry in vegetable oil in about three batches till golden and season with salt…….or you can use already crisp fried onions from your local supermarket. I fried my own onions. I used slightly more cornstarch than recommended…(maybe my onions were bigger?)…. and they took me around 20 minutes and made far more than I needed but they are so tasty and great on salads, burgers, and other things. This recipe was written as 4-6 portions. I got more but then again I eat pasta as small side servings…..But each serving was FORKING AWSOME!

Ingredients for 4 servings

10 1/2 oz dried cavatappi or fusilli pasta

2 1/2 cups whole milk (add another 1/2 cup if needed)

5 Tablespoons unsalted butter (cut in small cubes)

3 garlic cloves – ground to paste

1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds – toasted- crushed (or you can use ground cumin but it won’t taste as good)

5 Tablespoons heavy cream

1 1/3 cup mature cheddar cheese – shredded (Costco sells it)

6 1/3 oz greek feta cheese – crumbled

kosher salt – to taste

fresh ground black pepper – to taste

1/2 cup crispy onions or shallots – either home made or store bought

1 large lemon (za’atar pesto)

3 Tablespoons za’atar (za’atar pesto)

1 cup cilantro – leaves and tender stems, chopped (za’atar pesto)

1 garlic clove – chopped

1/2 cup pine nuts – lightly toasted (za’atar pesto)

6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (za’atar pesto)

Directions

Put the pasta, 2 1/2 cups milk, 1 1/2 cup water, butter, garlic, turmeric, 1 teaspoon salt, a good amount of fresh ground black pepperoni a large sauce pan on medium high heat. Bring to simmer and turn down to medium and cook stirring occasionally for around 10-14 minutes or until the pasta is al dente.You might need an extra 1/2 cup milk if your sauce got very thick. Turn heat down to low and add the cumin, cream, and cheeses until nicely melted.

While the pasta is cooking make the pesto. Grate the lemon. Slice off the skin of the lemon. Supreme the lemon and chop the supremes. The zest and chopped supremes go to the side. You should have some lemon left from the supremes and you can squeeze the juice in a bowl or food processor. to the bowl or food processor add za’atar, cilantro, pine nuts, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, a good grind of pepper, and half of the oil. Process or use a stick blender…..and if you don’t have either you can use a mortar or hand chop. Then add the lemon to the side and the rest of the oil.

Serve the macaroni right away. It is suggested to drizzle the pesto all over and then to top with a 1/2 cup of crispy onions.

This is FOKING Delicious!

A Special THANKS!!!! to The Ottolenghi Test Kitchen and Food52 for this FORKING AMAZING Recipe!