Mac and cheese with blue cheese

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of pasta or cavatapi
• 110 g thick slices of bacon
• 1.5 cups of milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp. premium flour
• 110 g Gruyere, grated
• 80 g extra sharp cheddar, grated
• 60 g blue cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• A pinch of nutmeg
• 2 slices white sandwich bread, crusts trimmed
• 2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
   
   Place a rack over a baking sheet and spread the bacon on the rack in a single layer. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until crispy. Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven; it will be filled with hot rendered fat! Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and crumble it once it's cooled slightly.
   
2. Add a little vegetable oil to a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions for 6-8 minutes. Drain the pasta.
3. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but do not bring it to a boil. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour. Cook over low heat, whisking, for 2 minutes. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until thickened and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the Gruyere, Cheddar, blue cheese, 1 teaspoon of salt, black pepper, and nutmeg.
4. Add the cooked pasta and crumbled bacon and mix well. Transfer the mac and cheese to two serving baking dishes.
5. Place the bread slices in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until coarse crumbs form. Add the basil and pulse to distribute evenly. Sprinkle the mac and cheese with the bread crumb mixture. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the sauce begins to simmer and the pasta is golden brown on top.