Baked Farfalle with Aged White Cheddar & Panko

A Gooey, Crunchy, Pasta Dish with Onions, Garlic, & Topped with Aged White Cheddar.

"Mine eyes smell onions; I shall weep anon."

All's Well That Ends Well: Act 5, Scene 3

There is something SO comforting about a big ol' dish of baked mac'n'cheese. Gooey, cheesy... crusty? That doesn't sound right. Delicious as the dish may be, sometimes you need to 'grow it up' a little. What better way to dress up a pasta dish than to throw in some bow ties (get it?) and some aged white cheddar in lieu of the orange stuff. Swap the usual bread crumbs for some panko and you've got it: Baked Farfalle with Aged White Cheddar and Panko. Sounds nicer than mac'n'cheese, doesn't it? Well trust me, it tastes even better.

You can use any pasta really for this dish, but I have recently fallen for the Garofalo pasta from Costco. The farfalle was B's choice and it was excellent.

You will need....

500 grams farfalle pasta, cooked al dente
1 sweet onion, minced
1 tbs garlic, minced
1 tbs Johnny's Great Caesar Garlic Seasoning
3 tbs butter or margarine
3 cups milk or cream
3 tbs all-purpose flour
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
4 cups grated white cheddar cheese
2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
Salt & pepper
Dried Italian herbs

Method...

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Celsius.  In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and mushrooms and saute until onions are translucent - about 10-15 minutes. Turn down heat.

Add flour and garlic seasoning to the pan and mix until well combined. Gradually add milk, whisking constantly until smooth. Add 2 cups of grated cheddar and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a large casserole dish combine sauce and cooked pasta. Top with remaining cheese, panko breadcrumbs, and sprinkle with dried Italian herbs. Bake uncovered in pre-heated oven for about 20-30 minutes or until breadcrumbs are lightly browned and cheese is bubbly and melted. Allow to sit for minutes after cooking. Serve hot.