Italian Mac and Cheese

ITALIAN MAC and CHEESE


What you need:
1 pound penne noodles
1 pound Italian sweet sausage
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream

1 {10-ounce} bag shredded Italian 4 cheese blend {equals 2.5 cups}
1 can diced tomatoes, drained well
1 cup sliced mushroom {optional}
1 teaspoon hot sauce {optional}
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs {Italian seasoned or plain}
Basil {fresh is best, if you have it!}

What you do:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta to a chewy al dente, about 8 minutes. {Get the water heating on the stove and then move onto the meat, cooking the noodles as you go.}

In a nonstick skillet, brown and crumble the sausage. Drain cooked crumbles on paper towel lined plate. Return pan to heat and add extra-virgin olive oil, butter, garlic (and mushrooms if you like that sort of thing; clearly, I do not). Season liberally with salt and pepper. Saute 3 to 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Add flour to skillet and stir, cooking 2 minutes. Whisk in broth, then stir in cream. Bring cream to a bubble, then stir in 2 cups of 4 cheese blend. When cheese has melted into sauce, add tomatoes. When sauce comes to a bubble, remove from heat and adjust seasonings, adding hot sauce if desired. I added a couple drops for kicks. Combine cheese sauce with sausage and pasta, transfer to baking or casserole dish.

In a bowl, stir together the remaining 1/2 cup of 4 cheese blend, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, and breadcrumbs. You can also add fresh basil to this mix. Now that Mr. Basil lives in my kitchen, I try to add a little basil to everything! Sprinkle this cheese and breadcrumb mixture evenly over the top of the pasta and bake for about 10 minutes. Then turn broiler on oven and broil for 2-5 minutes or until the cheese on top is slightly golden.