Recipe courtesy of Porch Light Latin Kitchen

Sofrito Mac 'n Cheese

  • Level: Easy
  • Yield: 4 to 6 servings
  • Total: 1 hr 5 min
  • Active: 1 hr
Share This Recipe

Ingredients

Sofrito Bechamel:

1 quart whole milk

2 pinches kosher salt, or more as needed

1 cup Sofrito, recipe follows

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, cubed and softened 

4 ounces all-purpose flour 

2 cups Chihuahua cheese or low-moisture mozzarella, shredded 

Noodles:

2 cups dry elbow noodles

Kosher salt

Sofrito:

1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and roughly chopped

1 poblano pepper, stemmed, seeded and roughly chopped 

4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 

1/2 medium Spanish onion, peeled and roughly chopped 

1/2 bunch cilantro, stems and leaves, roughly chopped 

2 to 4 ounces olive oil 

Kosher salt

Directions

  1. For the sofrito bechamel: Add milk, salt and Sofrito to a 2-quart saucepot. Stir together over medium heat and bring to a boil. Drop the heat down to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes to really allow the sofrito to infuse into the milk.
  2. Meanwhile, make a roux: Melt the butter in small saute pan over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour while whisking. Cook, whisking constantly, to encourage a uniform texture and to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan, until the mixture is a light brown or blonde color, 3 to 5 minutes.
  3. Pour the roux into the saucepot with the milk and sofrito, whisking vigorously so there are no lumps. Once the mixture is smooth, add the cheese to the sauce and stir to allow it to melt into the mixture, 3 to 5 minutes. Once the cheese melts, remove the pot from the heat and salt to taste.
  4. For the noodles: Cook elbow noodles in salted water according to the directions on the box, then drain the pasta well. (If it is too wet, the bechamel won't stick to the noodles.)
  5. Return the noodles to the pot they were cooked in. Pour bechamel over the pasta and gently stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until the pasta is well coated. Serve hot.

Sofrito:

  1. Place the red bell pepper, poblano, garlic, onion and cilantro into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to break things up, then turn it on continuously. Slowly pour in the olive oil while blending, until you have a smooth puree that isn't too oily. Then blend with a touch more oil until smooth. Reserve.

Fudge Factor

Review: Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert's Chocolate Bar Nov 16, 2012

Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert have teamed up with master chocolatier Christopher Curtin to create the "Good & Evil" chocolate b …

Over-the-Top-Delicious Treats to Satisfy Your Food Obsession

Are you infatuated with ice cream? Do you lust over lobster? Swoon at the sight of chocolate? Here's the best recipe for each food …

Sifted: Plan-Ahead Valentine's Day Desserts Feb 6, 2013

By: Lauren Miyashiro

Get our take on the best in food news, recipes and more from around the web, including the best Valentine's Day recipes.

The Craziest Chocolate Creations for American Chocolate Week Mar 17, 2013

It’s officially American Chocolate Week. Check out photos of mind-blowing chocolate creations.

Train Frontman Pat Monahan's Dark Chocolate Obsession Feb 11, 2013

By: Cameron Curtis

Train frontman Pat Monahan, an avid chocolate lover, shared with us his top five reasons for eating dark chocolate.

Chocolate Desserts

Indulge in our decadent chocolate desserts, from cookies and cakes to puddings, souffles and truffles.

How to Chop and Melt Chocolate

Lots of recipes call for melted chocolate. Follow these step-by-step instructions to do it properly.