Baked Mac and Cheese with Blue Cheese

Ingredients:

• 340 g fusilli pasta
• 1/3 cup diced pancetta
• 1 small handful of fresh thyme
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp. premium flour
• A pinch of ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 and 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 200 g dolcelatte or gorgonzola, crumbled (about 1 cup)
• 110 gr. parmesan, grated (about 1.5 tbsp.)
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 handful fresh chopped parsley, for serving

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water. Cook until slightly less than al dente, as the pasta will finish cooking in the oven. Set aside 1 cup of the water, drain the rest, return the pasta to the pot, and set aside.
2. In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook the pancetta until it begins to brown, then add the thyme and green onions and cook for another 3 minutes. Transfer the contents of the skillet to the pasta.

3. Sauce:

   
   Combine the butter, flour, nutmeg, and mustard powder in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat and cook, stirring, until the butter melts. Combine the milk and cream in a jug and add a little to the flour and butter in the saucepan, stirring well. Continue adding the milk mixture a little at a time, stirring well after each addition (be sure to stir in the corners of the pan). Increase the heat and simmer the sauce for 1-2 minutes. It will thicken considerably. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
4. Add two-thirds of both cheeses to the sauce while it's still hot and stir well. It may be a little lumpy, but that's okay. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add to the pasta. If the cheese sauce thickens too much, add a little of the pasta cooking water. Stir and pour into 4 large ramekins or a shallow 3-quart casserole.
5. Sprinkle the mac and cheese with the remaining cheese and breadcrumbs and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and the topping is golden brown. Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley and serve.