Ingredients

• 12 oz. fusilli pasta
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 5 large garlic cloves, minced and divided
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups milk (I used 2%)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 & 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce (more or less, depending on your preference)
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 & 1/2 cups wheat bread, cut into small cubes (about 1/4 inch)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions (I did about 10-11 minutes). Drain pasta well and return to pot.

3. Grease a large baking dish (9×13) and set aside.

4. In a large skillet, melt butter under medium high heat. Stir in about 1 tablespoon of the minced garlic and cook until fragrant. Whisk in flour and stir constantly for about a minute. Then whisk in milk, and season roux with salt and pepper.

5. Bring mixture to a boil, whisking constantly. Stir in shredded cheddar cheese, sriracha, and cayenne pepper.

6. Pour mixture over pasta and mix well. Spoon mixture into an even layer in the baking dish.

7. Wipe skillet clean (or use another one, but I like to keep the dishes to a minimum!) and heat under medium high heat. Add olive oil to pan and heat until shimmering. Add bread cubes and cook about 5-7 minutes, or until starting to brown. Stir in remaining garlic during the last couple minutes of toasting bread to infuse a little bit more flavor.

8. Top pasta with garlicky bread crumbs and bake for about 30 minutes, or until top is golden brown and sauce is bubbling.

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