Truffle Macaroni and Cheese

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Ingredients

1 Pound of penne pasta
¼ Pound of imported Parma Ham, sliced ¼ inch thick (the Kings Deli associated will be happy to do this for you)
1 Teaspoon vegetable oil
2 Sticks sweet butter
1 Cup Japanese Panko breadcrumbs
½ Cup all purpose flour
1 Quart milk (whole milk preferred, but you can substitute with a 2% fat milk), heated
1 Cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 Cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1-2 Teaspoon Truffle oil
1 Tablespoon chopped thyme
Salt
Pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil; add in 4 tbls of salt. Cook Penne pasta al dente following manufacturer’s instructions. Drain in a colander and refresh cooked pasta with cold water. Drain well.

2. Cut the 1/4 inch thick sliced Parma ham into ¼ inch dice.

3. Heat a 1 quart sauce pan with vegetable oil and add in diced Parma ham. Sauté slowly over medium heat until you have rendered the Parma ham fat out, remove caramelized dice Parma ham with a slotted spoon and reserve for later.

4. Add 1 stick of butter to the Parma ham fat and when melted stir in Panko breadcrumbs, mix well to incorporate all flavors. Set aside for later.

5. In a 1 gallon sauce pan add in remaining butter and melt; add in flour to form a roux. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the roux start to turn a light golden brown color.

6. Slowly whisk in the heated milk and continue whisking for 10 minutes until a smooth sauce is formed and all of the flour taste is gone.

7. Lower the heat to low and start whisking in the shredded cheeses a little at a time to form a cheese sauce. Add in thyme and 1 tsp of Truffle oil (feel free to add more Truffle oil in to get to your taste preference). Add in cooked Parma ham and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

8. Fold in the cooked penne and mix gently to incorporate all ingredients.

9. Grease a 9”x13” oven safe dish with cooking spray, add prepared Penne pasta into dish and top with prepared Japanese breadcrumbs.

10. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. To finish, the dish drizzle the breadcrumb topping with a little more Truffle oil.