Paisano: Mac 'n Cheese

Traditional Baked Macaroni and Cheese

3 c milk
2 oz Parmigiano - grated
1 tbsp shortening
5 strips bacon
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
2 tsp ground mustard
2 squirts Worcestershire sauce
3 squirts Tabasco
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
12 oz sharp cheddar - shredded
12 oz macaroni

Heat oven to 400F.

Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-low heat until done but not crisp. Drain and chop coarsely.

Warm the milk in the microwave to about 90F (about 2 minutes in a 1000 watt oven) - this will speed up thickening the mornay sauce.

Grease a 2 quart casserole dish with shortening and dust with grated Parmigiano as you would a cake pan. Add remaining Parmigiano to the cheddar.

Melt the butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and cook for three minutes, stirring constantly with the whisk. Pour in milk and continue cooking and whisking until the mixture thickens. Whisk in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, salt, and pepper. Add 2/3 of the cheese, a handful at a time, stirring constantly and thoroughly melting cheese before adding next handful.

In the meantime, cook the pasta according to package directions. When done, strain out water, then, in the pasta pot, add bacon and sauce. Stir to mix thoroughly.

Pour mixture into casserole dish and sprinkle with reserved cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes until topping cheese begins to brown.

In an alternate life, the Paisano is Kevin Weeks: a Gather food correspondent, personal chef, cooking teacher, and writer in Knoxville, Tennessee who spends too many hours on his feet, cooking. "Paisano" the column focuses on peasant dishes from around the world, Paisano the character is fictional. To read more of Kevin's writings or connect to him click here. His blog, Seriously Good, is read by 75,000 cooks a month and in addition he writes a weekly column forSpot-On. Kevin is also a consultant with ChefsLine.com.