Baked pasta and cheese – not much better than that!  But add some glorious sauteed leeks and the dish becomes an entirely different and more wonderful creation.

The Comfort Foods issue of Bon Appetit has had me craving casseroles, and the combination of leeks and cheese is one of my favorites.  Adding nutty whole wheat penne and substituting lowfat milk for whole made me feel a little better about myself, and I thought a combination of gruyere and cheddar would give it a nice twist.

Served with a green salad and some light red wine, it’s a simple and comforting meal.

Continue after the break to read the recipe:

Baked Mac and Cheese With Leeks
4 servings
Adapted from Bon Appetit, March 2009

prep: 35 minutes total: 55 minutes

equipment: glass baking dish, saucepans

ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 large leeks, chopped
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 3/4 cups lowfat milk
1 cup grated Gruyere
1 cup grated extra-sharp white cheddar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
dash hot sauce
1 large egg
1/2 pound whole wheat penne pasta

how to:

1. Cut the leeks lengthwise, and then crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces. Put in a colander and rinse thoroughly. Pat dry. Set a pot of salted water to boil.

2. Melt the butter in a deep saute pan over medium heat. Add the leeks, stir to coat and cover the pan.  Let cook, stirring occasionally until leeks are tender, about 5 minutes. Uncover and add the flour. Stir to coat  and cook for about 2 minutes.  Add the milk, bring to a simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Add all but 1/4 cup of the cheese, mustard, and hot sauce.  Stir until the cheese melts. Remove from the heat and season with salt to taste, then set to cool while the pasta cooks.

3. When the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook about 10 mintues until al dente. Drain, put back in the pot.

4. Whisk the egg in a medium bowl. Slowly add about 1 cup of the cheese sauce. Stir this portion back into the rest of the sauce.

5. When the pasta is done, pour on the cheese sauce and stir to coat. Grease your baking dish, and pour in the pasta. Sprinkle the remaining grated cheese on top.

6. Bake at 400F for 20 minutes, until the sauce bubbles and the cheese is lightly browned. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.