Twist on a Classic ~ Pimento Mac & Cheese

If you are from the South, chances are, you are familiar with an old stand-by ~ Pimento Cheese.

Commonly used on crackers or sandwiches, today, we are switching it up a bit and turning it into a pasta dish! (thanks to Rachael Ray's imagination ;)

Pimentos are really nothing more than a red bell pepper, just a bit sweeter.  And, in this preparation, we are using the jarred variety.


Let's begin, shall we!  The sooner we can eat :)
Begin with 1 lb. of short pasta.  You want one that will hold onto the cheese sauce, so holes and ridges are a good thing (macaroni, cavatappi, etc.)  I decided to use half Rice pasta, as it makes for a lower gluten meal, but still having the flavor of regular durum pasta.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Be sure to use a nice, large pot, and fill it with a lot of water to give the pasta room to groove.  Once the water is at a rolling boil, salt it generously.  Should be salty like the sea.  This is your only chance to flavor the pasta itself.

Cook the pasta just shy of al dente.  It will continue to cook when we put it in the oven later.  Drain it and reserve.  DO NOT rinse it with water.


Meanwhile, in a separate pot, heat your olive oil and butter over medium heat.  Once the butter has melted, add your onion, garlic, salt and pepper.  Cook until the onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes.  Then, add the paprika.  This will give it lots of intense color.
Add the flour, stirring and cooking for a minute more ~ we are making our roux (or thickener).  Whisk in milk and hot sauce and bring to a bubble to thicken the sauce, stirring often.  Then turn off the heat.  This will only take a minute or two.  Stir in the cheese until it melts into the sauce.

Add the drained pasta to the cheese sauce.  Stir together.  Then stir in drained pimentos.

Pour into a baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

 

Bake at 425 or broil just until the cheese is nice and melted.

Garnish with fresh flat leaf parsley (if you have some, which I did not :)

And, there you have it.  A delicious twist on a classic.

Ingredients:

1 lb. short pasta (macaroni, cavatappi, etc.)
Salt
1 tbl. olive oil
3 tbl. butter
1/2 large yellow onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
2 tbl. sweet Paprika, plus more for garnish
Salt and pepper
3 tbl. flour
2 cups milk
2 tsp. hot sauce
3 cups sharp yellow cheddar, grated
2 4-oz. jars chopped pimentos, drained
chopped flat leaf parsley for garnish (optional)