This is great dish for a bit of wholesome indulgence during the holiday week, or really any freezing cold wintry day—particularly after a super intense Enhancewell workout so you’ve got a few calories to spare. There’s nothing quite warm and comforting like mac & cheese. This version brings in a whole grain, complex carb element for the pasta and loads up on hearty vegetables and lean protein to round out a balanced, albeit slightly decadent one-dish meal.
Serves 6-8
7 oz / half box of Sfogili einkorn whole wheat macaroni (or regular / other whole wheat / gluten-free macaroni pasta)
2 lamb sausage links (or pork sausage should work just fine)
Olive oil for sauteeing
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 leeks, white portion, halved and thinly sliced
½ fresno red chili or jalapeno, finely minced
Leaves from 2-3 sprigs of thyme
½ bunch Swiss chard (red, green or rainbow)
1/3-1/2 head Romanesco (a type of cauliflower, or regular cauliflower), cut into small florets and pieces of stem
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups whole milk
10 ounces sharp white cheddar, 2 ounces reserved for topping
6 ounces comte (or whatever other cheese you fancy), 2 ounces reserved for topping
½ teaspoon mustard powder
A good shake of garlic powder
1/16 – 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Zest of ¼ orange *only if using lamb sausage
1-2 teaspoons liquid from pickles or capers (*if desired/on hand)
Kosher salt to taste
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or smoked paprika
½ cup toasted garlic breadcrumbs (or you can skip this step if you don’t have them on hand)
This is great dish for a bit of wholesome indulgence during the holiday week, or really any freezing cold wintry day—particularly after a super intense Enhancewell workout so you’ve got a few calories to spare. There’s nothing quite warm and comforting like mac & cheese. This version brings in a whole grain, complex carb element for the pasta and loads up on hearty vegetables and lean protein to round out a balanced, albeit slightly decadent one-dish meal.
Preheat oven to 400F.
Cook macaroni in salted boiling water per directions. Strain, reserving 1/3 cup pasta water. Toss pasta with 1 tablespoon melted butter and set aside until ready to use.
Saute sausage in a bit of olive oil until cooked through. Set aside. Using the same pan, saute garlic, leek and chili with a bit more olive oil. For 3-5 minutes. Add thyme leaves and chard, saute another 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Finally, saute Romanesco for 6-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add to veg mix. ( Or roast with olive oil, salt and pepper for 8-10 minutes) while concurrently sauteing other veg.
Combine pasta, sausage and vegetable mix. In a small saucepan, whisk together remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons flour until smooth. Slowly whisk in milk to make the bechamel sauce. Whisk in mustard, garlic, nutmeg, orange zest. Slowly whisk in both cheeses (reserving 2 ounces or so of each for the topping). Continue whisking frequently until slightly thickened. Whisk in liquid (if desired) from pickles/capers (namely for acid balance). Season with salt and pepper.
Butter a 9×9 casserole/baking dish. Add the pasta-sausage-veg mix into the dish. Pour bechamel-cheese sauce evenly over top to disperse throughout pasta. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top followed by cayenne / smoked paprika and breadcrumbs.
Bake for 35-45 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.
