Gorgonzola Mushroom Mac And Cheese Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds dry campanelle pasta
• 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup parmesan or gran padano
• 3 cups cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup fresh oregano
• 2 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2/3 cup shallot
• 1/4 cup fresh thyme
• 3 cups portobello mushrooms
• 1 1/2 cups shiitake mushrooms
• 1/2 cup beer
• 4 tablespoons butter
• salt and pepper to taste
• 12 tablespoons butter
• 8 tablespoons flour
• 8 cups milk
• 4 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 cups Gruyere
• 2 cups fontina
• 3/4 cup parmesan or grana padano
• 1 pound Gorgonzola

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
2. Toss the tomatoes with the oregano, apple cider vinegar, cayenne pepper and olive oil.
3. Lay them out on a baking sheet cut side up (otherwise they'll be impossible to get off the tray), and put the tray in the oven.
4. Cook for 45 minutes and then set aside to cool, while keeping your oven on for the mac and cheese.
5. For the pasta, follow the instructions on the package, but subtract a couple minutes from the listed time. You want the pasta to still be a bit crunchy, as it's going to cook more in the oven later. Strain and set aside.
6. For the mushrooms, add the butter, mushrooms, thyme and shallots to a skillet over medium high heat. Cook until everything starts to brown and caramelize a bit (be careful not to burn too dark; a little burnt is fine though).
7. Add the beer, turn the heat down to medium, cover and cook for about 10-12 minutes.
8. Uncover the skillet and cook until all liquid is gone, about 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
9. Now it's time for the sauce: be ready, you might have to do a couple of things at the same time here. Heat up another skillet on medium low heat, and add the butter.
10. Once the butter is melted, add the flour and whisk until smooth (it helps to sift the flour before hand).
11. Once the flour is fully incorporated, turn the heat up to medium and cook for another 6 or 7 minutes. The goal here is to get a nice golden color–not quite brown, but toasted up a bit. 
12. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a separate pot (put the milk in the pot before you turn the heat on) over medium high until it looks like it's about to boil, then turn it to low.
13. Use a ladle to scoop the milk into your butter and flour base while stirring and whisking constantly over low heat.
14. Once all the milk is added and incorporated, increase the flame and wait for it to boil, then cook for about 12 minutes (and don't stop stirring!).
15. Turn off the heat and immediately add your grated cheese (but not the gorgonzola), salt, pepper and cayenne pepper and mix together.
16. In a large mixing bowl, mix the mushroom mixture, tomato mixture, pasta, cheese sauce and gorgonzola together.
17. Scoop into a buttered 9x13 baking dish and top with the grated parm and bread crumbs.
18. Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. You can also make these in individual sized dishes (as long as they're oven-safe).
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