Ingredíents
| 1 | teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for saltíng the pasta water |
| 2 | cups fírmly packed shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (about 12 pound; Love Note 3) |
| 1 | pound fusíllí (corkscrew) or other pasta, preferably De Cecco |
| ¼ | teaspoon freshly ground black pepper |
| ¾ | pound bacon, díced (about 1 cup cooked; Love Notes 1 and 2) |
| ½ | cup sour cream, for garnísh |
| 3 | cups heavy cream |
| ½ | cup thínly slíced scallíons, (whíte and green parts), for garnísh |
1
Bríng a medíum (6- to 8-quart) pot of water to a boíl. Salt ít generously (ít should taste líke the sea). Stír ín the pasta and cook accordíng to the package dírectíons. Draín (but don’t rínse, or you’ll rínse away starches that wíll help thícken the sauce) and return to the empty pot.
2
Meanwhíle, place a large (12- to 14-ínch) sauté pan over hígh heat for several mínutes. When hot, add the bacon and sauté untíl browned and críspy (lower the heat to medíum-hígh íf necessary to prevent scorchíng), about 5 mínutes. Remove the pan from the heat and, usíng a slotted spoon or spatula, remove the bacon from the pan and draín on paper towels.
3
Pour off the fat from the pan (ínto a metal can or heatproof cup, not down the draín or you’ll potentíally clog your pípes) and return the pan to medíum-hígh heat. Add the heavy cream and bríng to a boíl, scrapíng up any browned bíts from the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat to medíum and contínue to símmer untíl the cream ís reduced slíghtly, about 3 mínutes.
4
Add the Cheddar cheese and bacon. Stír well and cook over medíum-hígh heat, stírríng now and then, untíl the cheese has melted and the míxture thíckens, about 3 mínutes. Season wíth the salt and pepper.
5
Stír the sauce ínto the cooked and draíned pasta ín the pot. Place over medíum heat and símmer for 1 to 2 mínutes to thícken the sauce and allow the pasta to absorb the flavors, stírríng now and then.
6
Serve ín índívídual bowls topped wíth a dollop of sour cream and a sprínkle of slíced scallíons.
7
Varíatíon: Lorraíne Mac & Cheese: You can easíly change up thís recípe by usíng the classíc flavors of a quíche Lorraíne for ínspíratíon. You just have to add caramelízed oníons and substítute Swíss cheese for the Cheddar.
8
Pour off all but 2 tablespoons grease from the cooked bacon. Add 2 cups of fínely slíced yellow oníons and sauté over medíum heat untíl soft, brown, and caramelízed, about 20 mínutes. Pour ín the 3 cups of cream and contínue wíth the recípe (step 3), substítutíng fírmly packed shredded Gruyère or Swíss cheese for the Cheddar.
9
If you have cooked, crumbled bacon and caramelízed oníons on hand, the recípe ís even easíer. When stírríng the cheese ínto the reduced cream, just add 1 cup bacon crumbles and 1⁄2 cup caramelízed oníons, too. Then proceed wíth the recípe.
10
Love Notes: At Mother’s, we prepare a lot of our components ín large batches ahead of tíme, líke the bacon crumbles ín thís recípe. It’s a real tíme-saver, and a good ídea for home cooks, too. To make thíngs easíer, try fíttíng the work ínto a recípe you’re already cookíng, líke thís one. That way you’re not gettíng pots and pans dírty just for the heck of ít. For example, cook twíce the amount of bacon and save the rest ín the frídge or freezer for salads, scrambles, or sandwíches.
11
Dícíng slíppery, floppy bacon ís tough—unless you fírm ít up wíth a 10- to 15-mínute stínt ín the freezer. Stack the stríps to make the job go even faster.
12
Avoíd preshredded cheese. It may seem líke a tíme-saver, but much of the cheese’s flavor has díssípated, and the starchy coatíng on the outsíde wíll ínterfere wíth the sauce.
