Ingredients
- 3/4 pound Cavatappi, Macaroni, Penne….any medium sized pasta that is vaguely tubular
- 5 large leeks, cleaned, trimmed of dark green end, and cut into 1/2 inch half discs
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 5 cups whole milk
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 4-5 tbsp of Vadouvan Masala Add to Cart
- 12 ounces gruyere, shredded
- 6 ounces raclette, cut into small cubes (it doesn’t shred easily)
- 3/4 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1/4 cup olive oil. Add leeks and season to taste with salt. Cook leeks until soft and just starting to brown and then set aside.
- Heat a large heavy pot over medium heat. Melt the butter, and then add Vadouvan Masala and the flour, whisking until the flour has absorbed all the butter liquid. Add milk a splash at a time, whisking constantly, and adding more only when the milk has been completely incorporated into the roux. Once the mixture begins to resemble more of a liquid and less of a solid, you can add the milk more quickly, until you’re out. Foolproof! The mixture should be pretty thick immediately, so take it off the heat and add all the cheeses, whisking until smooth. Taste, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside. This is the pot you’ll mix your pasta in!
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until just shy of al dente. Drain, and pour into the cheese sauce, Add the leeks, stirring to combine.
- Pour the pasta mixture into a 9 x 11 in pyrex pan (or an equivalent size casserole dish), evenly distribute the breadcrumbs over the top, and bake in the preheated oven until golden brown on top. Allow the baked pasta dish to cool a little before serving
