Categories: Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp plus 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 lb. elbow macaroni
- 3 large egg whites
- 1 stick unsalted butter, plus more for greasing ramekins
- 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 9 black peppercorns
- Black pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 cup mascarpone
- 6 oz. Taleggio cheese, rind removed and diced
- 6 oz. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 6 oz. grated Pecorino Romano
- 1 cup Garlic Bread Crumbs (see recipe)
- Truffle oil, for drizzling
Directions
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tter the ramekins. Preheat the oven to 375.
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Bring a large pot of water with 1 tbsp of salt to a boil. Add the pasta and stir just until the water returns to a boil. Cook until just al dente, drain, shaking well. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks.
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Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook until softened. Sprinkle the flour over the onion and stir constantly for 2 minutes; don’t allow the flour to brown. Add 1 cup milk a little at a time, stirring constantly. Stir until smooth, and then add the bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns and the remaining 2 tsp salt and 2 1/2 cups milk. Increase the heat to medium-high and continue stirring frequently until the liquid reaches a boil. Boil for 1 minute, then reduce the heat to low so the milk barely simmers and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes more. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes, and then strain through a sieve into a very large bowl, working the onions back and forth with a rubber spatula to extract all the liquid possible. Immediately stir in plenty of black pepper, the nutmeg, mascarpone, Tallegio, Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino Romano, stirring until the cheeses are just melted.
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Stir the cooked macaroni into the cheese mixture, then fold in the beaten egg whites. Spoon the mixture into the ramekins, mounding slightly, and top each with a big pinch of the bread crumbs.
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Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the cheese is quietly sizzling and the bread crumbs are golden. Let cool for 5 minutes, drizzle with truffle oil and serve.