Recipe from Sarita Ekwa at New York's S'MAC restaurant
- 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 small onions, diced
- 11 ounces (2 1/2 cups) dry elbow macaroni
- 6 plum tomatoes, diced
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste or purée
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon ground red chili
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 tablespoons butter
- 1 1/4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups milk, scalded and still hot
- 4 ounces (1 cup) shredded American cheese
- 4 ounces (1 cup) shredded sharp yellow Cheddar, plus 3/4 cup for topping
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup bread crumbs
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
![exp-player-logo](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="216" height="74"><rect fill-opacity="0"/></svg>)
In a large pan, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until they are past golden and almost brown, at least 10 minutes. Stir occasionally and lower the heat if necessary.
Meanwhile, cook the macaroni according to package directions in another pot. Strain, toss with a touch of olive oil and set aside.
When the onions are ready, add the tomatoes, cumin, ginger, turmeric, chili, coriander and salt. Simmer for 10 minutes on medium-low heat, then set aside.
Melt the butter over low heat in a medium, heavy-bottom saucepan, whisk in the flour. Continue to whisk and cook for 3 to 4 minutes but do not brown. Slowly whisk in the hot milk, then the cheese. Stir frequently until the cheese is melted and the sauce has slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
Remove from the heat, and stir in the onion-tomato mixture and the cilantro. Stir in the macaroni, then transfer to a baking dish. Combine the bread crumbs with the remaining 3/4 cup Cheddar cheese, then sprinkle over the macaroni.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Makes 3 (main-dish) servings.
You must be signed in to comment
Sign In