Poblano, Pasta & Cheese

Poblano

Pasta & Cheese

"Jumbo macaroni noodles in a creamy smoked Gouda & Mozzarella cheese sauce with sautéed Poblano peppers & garlic, topped with a crunchy tortilla chip-Panko gratin, baked and served with smoked beef brisket"

Ingredients

You will need: 2 quart gratin dish (#32 Le Creuset) or a 2 quart oblong casserole dish, 2 inch depth.

9 ounces jumbo elbow pasta (about 2 3/4 cups) I used Mueller's brand

Sautéed Poblano & Garlic

2 tablespoons unsalted, butter

1 cup medium dice, Poblano peppers. Remove seeds. Leave membranes if you want heat.

Salt

1 tablespoon freshly minced, garlic

2 tablespoons cold butter

Cheese Mixture

Note: Don't use pre-grated cheeses! They may affect the thickening and how the cheese melts during baking.

4 large egg yolks

1 cup evaporated milk

1 ¼ cups whole milk

1/3 teaspoon salt

1/3 teaspoon finely ground, black pepper

9 ounces smoked Gouda cheese (block)

6 ½ ounces Mozzarella cheese (block)

Toppings

Note: Tortilla chips can be added to a large ziplock bag and pounded with a rolling pin.

Cheeses

2 ounces smoked Gouda cheese, grated

2 ounces Mozzarella cheese, grated

Gratin

1/2 cup crushed, yellow corn, tortilla chips

1/2 cup plain, Panko bread crumbs

2 tablespoons melted butter (add to a bowl and mix with your fingers)

Your favorite local, smoked beef brisket

Vinegar based barbecue sauce

Directions

Add the pasta to salted, boiling water and cook al dente, stirring often. Drain off water and spread out into a large pasta bowl to cool.

Sautéed Poblano-Garlic

Place a sauté pan over medium temperature and add 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the Poblano peppers and a pinch of salt and cook until peppers start to soften, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until it starts to lightly brown, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of cold butter to slow cooking and loosen the garlic from bottom of pan. Let cool completely.

Cheese Mixture

Add the egg yolks to a mixing bowl and whisk. Add the evaporated milk, whole milk, salt & pepper and whisk. Scrape in the cooled, peppers and garlic and whisk well. Mix in the cheeses, add pasta and fold in several times.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Brush the bottoms and sides of gratin pan with butter or olive oil, add the mixture and spread out evenly. Sprinkle the cheese toppings evenly over the top, followed by the Gratin.

Place on the lower, center position of oven and bake 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool some and serve. For a slightly looser sauce, bake 30 minutes. Be careful not to over-bake or pasta will become dry. Serve with the beef brisket and barbecue sauce. Serves 8-10.

with Beef Brisket