WHAT’S COOKING: Curly mac and cheese with bacon and blue cheese

Cavatappi, the spiral-shaped pasta sometimes called “curly mac,” gives this version of macaroni and cheese a texture that sets it apart from the usual family favourite. It is combined with bacon, onion, garlic, Cheddar and soft blue cheese.

The recipe takes some planning. The pasta must be boiled, the onion and garlic cooked, the bacon fried until crisp, and a béchamel prepared before everything goes into the oven. Once baked, the dish should stand for about 15 minutes to help it set, so starting it at 6pm may leave hungry diners asking when supper will be ready.

The cheese sauce uses a litre of full-cream milk, three heaped tablespoons each of butter and flour, two cups of grated Cheddar and 100 grams of soft blue cheese. A bay leaf, nutmeg, salt and white pepper season the béchamel. The cooked onion, garlic and bacon are stirred into the finished sauce before it is mixed with the cavatappi.

The assembled macaroni is placed in a buttered oven dish, topped with extra Cheddar and baked. Microherbs can be added as an optional garnish. The recipe serves four to six people.