Pimiento Mac and Cheese

Name: Pimiento Mac and Cheese
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 47 min
Total time: 1 h 7 min
Yield: 6 serving(s)
Ingredients: 1 seeded red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces; 2 garlic cloves, halved, divided; 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, divided; 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided; 3/4 cup drained mild peppadew peppers in brine, 1 Tb brine reserved; 1/4 teaspoon ground ancho chili; 1 1/4 cups packed coarsely grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese; 1 cup packed coarsely grated whole milk mozzarella; 8 ounces medium pasta shells (or gemelli)

Submitted by Dr. Jenny

"I enjoyed this "peppery" mac and cheese from Bon Appetit. I found the Peppadew peppers at Hillers, a grocery chain near where I live. I used ancho chile powder. Prep time includes rest time."

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photo by JackieOhNo!

Ready In:: 1hr 7mins
Ingredients:: 10
Serves:: 6

ingredients

1 seeded red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, halved, divided
¹⁄₂ cup panko breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
¹⁄₂ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided
³⁄₄ cup drained mild peppadew peppers in brine, 1 Tb brine reserved
¹⁄₄ teaspoon ground ancho chili
1 ¹⁄₄ cups packed coarsely grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup packed coarsely grated whole milk mozzarella
8 ounces medium pasta shells (or gemelli)

directions

Bring 1/2 cup water, bell pepper, and 1 1/2 garlic cloves to boil in small saucepan. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pepper is soft, about 15 minutes.
Toast panko in skillet over medium-high heat until golden, stirring often, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to bowl; cool to lukewarm. Rub 1 Tb butter into crumbs to coat. Mix in 1/4 cup Parmesan.
Transfer bell pepper mixture to processor. Add Peppadews and 1 Tb brine, 2 Tb butter, ground chiles, and 1/2 garlic clove; then add cheddar and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Blend until sauce is smooth; season to taste with salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 400°F Butter 8-cup baking dish (or 6 individual dishes). Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain; return to pot. Stir sauce and mozzarella into pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon pasta into dish. Sprinkle with crumb topping.
Bake pasta until topping is crisp and sauce is bubbling, about 25 minutes (15 for individual). Let stand 10 minutes.

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Reviews

I made this exactly as posted, although I can't find any jarred peppadews around here. However, they do have them on the olive bar, so I chose a mixture of red and yellow peppadews. The red had a nice little kick to them when I tasted them, but that didn't translate in the final dish. I also thought the ancho chile powder would add some heat, but again, it was not discernible. This had a strong red pepper/pimiento flavor to it, which we happened to like. I would definitely punch up the heat a little bit, though, next time. Thanks for sharing! Made for Rookie Tag Game.

JackieOhNo!

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

Dr. Jenny

I work full-time as a School Psychologist in Michigan. Besides the kids, one of the best aspects of the job is summer vacation, when I can concentrate on doing more of the things that I like to do---like look up recipes and play games on Recipezaar!!! I married my wonderful and handsome husband, Sean, in August 2007. He is becoming a wonderful gardender and tends to both our veggie and herb gardens. We really enjoy cooking with our own fresh ingredients. We most often cook together, so my reviews typically reflect our joint opinions. He's the better cook, so I pick up a lot of my techniques from him. My other interests include reading (now that I have time), Irish dancing (I've taken a class for the last several years), "appreciating" wine (I use the term very loosely), and listening to and going to see Irish bands (I love the Pogues). I also enjoy travelling, especially around Western Europe, where I have been multiple times. One of my favorite places is Italy, and Sean and I had a great time on our honeymoon eating, drinking, and sightseeing in the Cinque Terre and in Tuscany. This July 2009, we expanded our horizons to Eastern Europe and visited the Czech Republic, Slovenia, and Croatia. Two of my favorite dishes on the trip were Croatian: fish brodet and Hvarska gregada. I am looking forward to trying my hand at making them at home as I see that someone on Zaar, who is Croatian, posted recipes for both! Besides my husband, the other lights of my life are my cats: Chloe, Pip, and my newest ragdoll cat, Giselle, all of whom I absolutely adore. <a href="http://s341.photobucket.com/albums/o388/courjen/?action=view¤t=PipChloe_web.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i341.photobucket.com/albums/o388/courjen/PipChloe_web.jpg" border="0" alt="Pip and Chloe"></a> <a href="http://i341.photobucket.com/albums/o388/courjen/Giselle_zaar.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i341.photobucket.com/albums/o388/courjen/Giselle_zaar.jpg" border="0" alt="Giselle"></a> I've participated in the following events: <img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/PAC08Main.jpg" border="0" alt= "Photobucket"> <img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/adoptedspring08.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/calendar%20clips/Copyofsoybean.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/DUCHESS13/Zaar%20World%20Tour%204/ZWTAB-tg.gif" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> I most recently had the privelege of being on the ZWT5 Team, the Sultans of Spice, with a great group of people. We came in second place! <img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/participantbannerzwt5.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src=http://home.insightbb.com/~webdesign5/Logo1a.jpeg>

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