HALIFAX -- Serves 4-6

Cheese Sauce Ingredients:

  • Butter 100g
  • Onions, diced 1 Cup
  • Flour 75g
  • Homogenized Milk 1 Quart (4 cups)
  • Mozzarella, shredded 75g
  • Cow’s Creamery Extra Old Cheddar, shredded 100g
  • Cow’s Creamery Applewood Smoked Cheddar, shredded 100g
  • Whole grain Dijon mustard 2 T
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Melt butter over medium heat in a medium/large pot.
  2. Once bubbling/foaming add onions and salt, and cook slowly until fully cooked, 15 minutes.
  3. Add flour and stir constantly over medium low heat, to make a ‘roux’, to help thicken the cheese sauce.
  4. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until no flour is visible, and mixture starts to bubble.
  5. Turn off the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom to prevent scorching.
  6. Once mixture has cooled slightly, whisk in milk and return to medium heat.
  7. Stir consistently for the first few minutes, to allow the roux to cook into milk, and prevent it from burning.
  8. Once the sauce starts to simmer, turn heat to low, and allow to cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  9. Once fully cooked, and the milk has become noticeably thicker, remove from heat, add mustard and desired amount of salt and pepper.
  10. Blend in all of the shredded cheese in 1/3 batches, only adding the next batch once the one before has fully melted.
  11. Taste, adjust anything to your preference,
  12. Pour into a large mixing bowl and allow to cool for later use.

Parmigiano Cream Ingredients:

  • Butter 25g
  • Onions, diced 1 cup
  • Parmigiano Reggiano Rinds, diced 1 cup
  • Water 1 cup
  • Cream 1 cup

Directions:

  1. Melt butter over medium heat in a small/medium pot.
  2. Once bubbling/foaming, add onions, and cook slowly until fully cooked, 15 minutes. A little bit of browning here can be good, but optional.
  3. Once onions are fully cooked, add water.
  4. Once starting to simmer, turn heat to low and add Parmigiano rinds, stirring every few minutes, and scrapping the bottom of the pot to prevent burning.
  5. Allow to simmer low for 20 minutes, until the cheese rinds are softened.
  6. Add all to a blender and blend until fully smooth.
  7. Strain through a fine strainer into a bowl and mix in cream.
  8. Allow to cool fully for later use.

Pasta Ingredients:

  • Garofalo Cappelletti, 1 packet 500g
  • Boiling Water 2 L

Directions:

  1. In a large pot, bring heavily salted water (it should taste like the ocean) to a full boil, with a lid on. Do not add oil to the water.
  2. Once the water is at a rolling boil, pour in full packet of pasta, stirring to prevent sticking to thebottom, and cover with lid.
  3. Allow to cook 2 minutes only, and strain. Do not rinse the pasta, rather shake the strainer, removing as much excess water as you can.
  4. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, and pour the steaming noodles onto the baking tray, to allow all of the steam to escape. You can place in the fridge to cool it down faster.

To Assemble:

  • Cheese sauce full recipe above
  • Parmigiano cream ½ of recipe above
  • Cooked pasta, full packet
  • Mozzarella, shredded 75g
  • Cow’s Creamery, Extra Old Cheddar, small dice 75g
  • Cow’s Creamery Applewood Smoked Cheddar, small dice 75g
  • Panko to cover

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425F.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, add the cheese sauce, half of the Parmigiano cream, cooked pasta, shredded, and diced cheese.
  3. With a spatula or gloves on, mix well until everything is evenly distributed.
  4. Place into a large casserole dish and evenly coat the top with panko.
  5. Bake for 20-25 minutes and finish with broiling, with the door open, until the top is evenly golden brown.
  6. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, and then enjoy!