Blistered Shishito Mac and Cheese
This Blistered Shishito Mac and Cheese features tender noodles enveloped in a creamy cheddar and fontina sauce swirled with pureed shishito peppers and topped with toasted panko breadcrumbs.
Ingredients
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp + 1 tsp unsalted butter divided
- 235g (8oz) shishito peppers divided
- 454g (1lb) dried elbow macaroni
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1½ cups 2% milk
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 200g (7oz) sharp cheddar shredded
- 200g (7oz) fontina shredded
Instructions
- Turn on the broiler. We want it good and hot before we introduce it to the shishito peppers.
- While the broiler is heating up, pour the panko breadcrumbs into a dry skillet and place it over medium heat. Toast the crumbs until golden, shaking the pan frequently. Once the crumbs are amber, transfer them to a bowl. Melt 1 teaspoon of the butter and pour it over the breadcrumbs. Add a pinch of salt and toss to coat and set them aside.
- Wipe out the skillet you used to toast the breadcrumbs and add 185g of the shishito peppers. Pop them under the broiler and blister them. This can take anywhere from 5-10 minutes depending on the strength of your broiler. Check on them and shake the pan every so often.
- Take the peppers out of the oven and transfer them to a food processor. Leave your broiler on and reserve the skillet, we’re not done with them. Blitz the peppers until they resemble mulch. Transfer to a bowl and set it aside.
- Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring it to a boil. While we’re waiting for the water to come to a boil, we can get started on the cheese sauce.
- Melt the remaining butter in a large deep skillet, whisk in the flour to form a roux. Whisk in the white wine followed by the milk. Add the milk in splashes and fully integrate each addition before adding more. Once the milk is in, add a tablespoon of Dijon mustard and 1/2 a teaspoon of salt and leave the sauce to simmer and thicken slightly.
- Your water should be boiling by now. Liberally salt the water and add a pound of dried macaroni. Cook according to the package's directions.
- Pour the remaining shishito peppers into the reserved skillet and pop them under the broiler. Add the cheeses to the simmering sauce and stir until melted. Finally, add the shishito puree from earlier and stir until thoroughly integrated. Give the sauce a taste and season with additional salt if needed.
- Once your pasta is al dente, drain it and add it to the sauce. Stir until evenly coated. When the peppers are good and blistered, you’re ready to serve. Spoon the finished Mac into bowls and top with the toasted panko and a few of the blistered shishito peppers. Serve immediately.
Notes
** If you would like to bake this mac and cheese, preheat the oven to 350°F after blistering the shishito peppers you plan to puree. Once the pasta is in the sauce, transfer it to a buttered casserole dish and cover with untoasted panko breadcrumbs and bake for 30 minutes. Take the mac and cheese out of the oven and then turn on the broiler and blister the shishitos you plan to serve the mac and cheese with then.