It’s only now as I type out the title of this post, I realize I used the wrong raisins. Oops.
Brown raisins, golden raisins….oh well, it probably won’t have much bearing. At least I hope not. 
My girl Kirsten of Farm Fresh Feasts notoriety tapped me on the shoulder (not literally, because sadly she lives hours away) about doing a blog post using a fancy pants recipe from a new Macaroni & Cheese cookbook she was given for the sole purpose of recipe recreation and shameless promotion. At least that’s what I’m assuming it’s about because I heard nothing beyond gourmet Mac & Cheese. Obviously, she came to the right place.
Melt: The Art of Macaroni & Cheese by Stephanie Stiavetti and Garrett McCord. 
Mac & Cheese is my thing. It’s one of my favorite things in fact, especially this time of year. I adore fresh pasta and will soon take a turn at making my own again, and my love for cheese, well it knows no bounds. At one point in my life, I was fortunate enough to be the lucky recipient of the Cheese of the Month Club, and I got two to three different bricks of joy on the fifteenth of every month. It was the gift that kept on giving.
One time, I got a particular odoriferous blue. I’m talking full on funk-ti-fied, as in every single time you opened the refrigerator door, the entire kitchen was instantly plunged into Funky Town, which is a great song by the way. Normally that’s my kind of town, complete with a little hip shaking and full on duck lips, but not this time, because this cheese was ridiculously overpowering, which thankfully is the exact opposite of what I’m about to share. 
Now I know you gorged yourselves silly yesterday on turkey, potatoes, pies and whatever else you could get your little mitts on. I don’t judge, especially since I was one of you. Alright not really, but only because Thanksgiving isn’t my meal. Come Christmas, you better watch out though.
My point is, as a result of the holiday festivities, you’re probably craving something simple and light, and this pasta absolutely fits the bill. Hear me out because this is not your traditional pasta. In fact, it’s nothing my mama would’ve ever made, although I guarantee she’d love to try it, especially since I get my love of cheese from her. The fruit I attribute to my dad, but the cheese belongs to my mom.
This Mac & Cheese isn’t even baked. It’s essentially pasta blanketed in a light and flavorful Mornay sauce. It’s creamy, without being thick, which might be a result of using the sheep-milk’s Gouda as opposed to the traditional cow. A few bites in, I used the terms delicate and fragile to describe the dish. The Hubby, not wanting to feel left out, chimed in with “sensitive.” Yeah, I’m not sure where he was going with that one. In any event, the raisins add a touch of sweetness and the pine nuts lend a buttery crunch. Quite frankly there’s not much I’d change about this recipe. I might halve the amount of raisins used or perhaps try using the correct kind, but since I’m not a big fan of raisins, unless they happened to be covered in chocolate, it’s no surprise I’d ease up on them.
I give this pasta two thumbs up, and if I had more of those clever digits, they’d be cast skyward as well.
Anyone else looking for a guinea pig for recipe testing? I’m happy to play the part, especially when they involve my two great loves: fruit and cheese.
Grand Ewe with Golden Raisins, Pine Nuts, and Macaroni (Serves Four) Ingredients
- 10 ounces elbow macaroni
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup golden raisins
- 8 ounces Grand Ewe sheep’s-milk Gouda, rind removed, shredded
- 1/4 cup mascarpone
- 1 cup coarsely chopped pine nuts, toasted lightly, divided
Directions
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain through a colander and set aside.
- To prepare the Mornay sauce, heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. As soon as the milk starts to steam and tiny bubbles form around the edges of the pan, turn off the heat. Place the butter in a medium saucepan and melt over medium flame. Add the flour and stir with a flat-edge wooden paddle just until the roux begins to take on a light brown color, scraping the bottom to prevent burning, about 3 minutes. Slowly add the milk and stir constantly until the sauce thickens enough to evenly coat the back of a spoon – a finger drawn along the back of a spoon should leave a clear swath. Stir in salt, pepper, and golden raisins. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add Gouda and mascarpone, and stir until completely melted. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour sauce over pasta and stir in half of the pine nuts. Serve in bowls, topped with the remaining pine nuts for garnish.
Alternative Cheeses: Ewephoria sheep’s-milk Gouda, Cypress Grove Lamb Chopper, or Trader Joe’s generic sheep’s milk Gouda. If all else fails, you can use a regular cow’s-milk Gouda, which will still shine. Wine Pairings: dry Riesling, Merlot Additional Pairings for the Cheese: olives, prosciutto, apples.
Are you a fan of gourmet Macaroni & Cheese? This first question is really rhetorical. What do you think about pairing raisins with pasta? Have you ever tried a sheep’s milk Gouda? This was my first. 😉
Sensitive, huh? Bahahaha! Love it! And even though you know I’m not a huge fan of pasta, this dish?…wow, just WOW! Love the contrasting textures and flavors…that is MY kind of dish right there!
I hope you had a lovely holiday, sweets! I’m sitting here waiting for round 2 to go down in a couple of hours…turkey, dressing,
deviledangelic eggs, cranberry sauce, asparagus, sweet potatoes, and I’m getting in there some experimental banana breads…fingers crossed I have something to report back on the blog soon! 😀Oooh experimental banana bread. Now that sounds intriguing, especially since it contains one of my favorite foods. I can’t wait to see the recipe.
You might actually like this Mac & Cheese since it’s very different from any other pasta I’ve ever made. I also think you need to try fresh pasta because there’s really nothing better.
Anyone who doesn’t like mac and cheese is not a friend of mine! Well unless you’re lactose intolerant, or my Dad (I was forced to forgive him for his cheese aversion as a child). I would be perfectly happy with Annie’s Mac but gourmet mac and cheese can’t be turned down. Ever.
The pictures are GORGEOUS btw!
Aw thanks girl! I appreciate that because I’ve been working hard on improving my pictures.
Since he’s your father, I guess certain allowances must be made, but only because he’s your father. 🙂
This cookbook is genius!!! Mac and cheese is such a classic, but to be able to jazz up some “adult” recipes is legit!! This meal you made looks so classy, but with the innocence that mac and cheese brings. WTF did I just say…you know..I hope.
I don’t know what’s worse. What you said or the fact I totally understood it. Great minds think alike!
I love raisins, but I hate raisins IN things. It’s one of the conundrums of my life. I’ll scarf a big ol’ handful of raisins plain, then spend 30 minutes picking every last one out of an oatmeal-sans-raisin cookie. That said, especially if it involves gouda, I’m game for trying anything once. Or twice. Fool me twice? Most likely, ’cause it takes a while for things to sink into this stubborn old brain of mine.
I’m the exact opposite. I won’t actually eat a handful of raisins but I will tolerate them. We’ll have to do a body swap or something.
Oh and don’t knock that stubborn brain. I’m a big fan.
Switch tongues for a day! Wait…that would be weird…
…But also interesting…
I must get this off my (non brawn like) chest- I hadn’t tried mac and cheese until I went to the US 2 years ago…and didn’t really like it! Granted it was from a box and didn’t have yet ANOTHER damn cheese I need to hunt down but If you give it two thumbs up- I take your word for it.
PS The cheese sampler I bought- I tried this amazing sundried tomato cheese and a walnut cheese…So. Good.
Mac and cheese from a box does not count. If you ever make your way to Ohio, I will make you legit mac and cheese and then we can see what’s up.
Bring the walnut cheese when you come because it sounds fabulous.
Whoa…I think I want to be a part of that club. Holy yum!
That recipe sounds and looks just amazing. I love the flavor combination of fruit and cheese, too. Most of my family and friends think I’m weird, but whatever – they’re just missing out! I wonder how this would be with diced apples instead of raisins…? Or in addition to…?
Anyway, thanks for sharing!
Fruit and cheese is always a winner. I bet the diced apples would be equally as delicious. Personally, I think the crunch they’d bring would be fabulous. I’d just halve the amount of pine nuts then so the texture isn’t all crunchy.
Mac and cheese is one of those things that unless you put dog poo in it…I’ll eat it! This looks delicious!
Yep, you can’t beat mac & cheese for some good old fashion comfort food.
Can we start a mac and cheese of the month club? Seriously we need to make that a thing 🙂 This looks sensitive, innocent, and downright incredible. I’ll admit to thinking the raisins might be a little weird, as well as admitting to never having had gouda of any kind before, but I’m suddenly drooling (and I just had a big bowl of my favorite thanksgiving leftovers for breakfast…)
Hope you had a wonderful holiday!
I think that’s a great idea. We can be the first to sign up too.
Never had gouda before? Why that’s a travesty. You need to rectify that stat!
Great mother of joyful bricks. I do not like raisins, but I am suddenly craving them. And the pairings. You know what?! You could slap the leftovers on some challah and make one funky town worthy grilled cheese. Paired with a classic, yeasty sparkling grape beverage.
Now that would be one amazing sandwich. Together you and I equal genius!!
Buh. Drooling all over this. And as far as gorging yourself, I like Christmas dinner better- but Thanksgiving desserts always get me! I do fine on the meal and feel sick after dessert. Light eating for me for a while 🙂
I like Christmas Eve dinner better too. My family does a bunch of appetizer type foods so it’s right up my alley.
Dessert is usually what does me in too, except my dislike of pumpkin pie always saves me this time of year. 😉
Thank you so much for taking the time to check out, Melt! It means so much and I’m thrilled that you took the time to share it with your readers. I’m also glad you enjoyed the sensitivity of this recipe. I think we were totally going for sensitive. 😉
Well you definitely hit your mark then. 🙂
Meghan,
This looks amazing (and, I must say, “sensitive”) and your photos are terrific!
You and the Hubby! I was thrilled with how these photos came out, although they still weren’t Food Gawker worthy. I submitted more than one and both met with the same fate: Reject. There is no pleasing those bastards.