Macaroni and Cheese with Red Pesto

To our dear #LoyalRoyals,

As the autumn chill sets in, we’re thinking a lot about the food that warms the cockles of our hearts; the food that brings the whole family together and makes us feel like home.

And so, this week we bring you the classic and ridiculously delicious macaroni and cheese, except we have given it a little twist with our Pesto Princess Red Pesto and spicy chorizo.

We hope it makes it onto your family’s table. Enjoy every bite.

With love from the Palace,
HRH Kathleen

You will need

300g chorizo (optional), chopped into bite-size bits
500g elbow macaroni (or regular macaroni)
3 Tbsp butter, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tbsp flour
2 cups milk
2 cups grated mature cheddar cheese
4 Tbsp Pesto Princess Red Pesto
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Olive oil
Salt

How to
1. Heat a pan over a medium-high heat and cook the chorizo until warmed through and a little bit crispy before setting aside.
2. In a large pot with heavily salted water, cook the whole bag of pasta according to packet instructions. Drain the pasta, then put it back into the pot and drizzle with olive oil. Mix thoroughly to prevent it from sticking together.
3. To make the béchamel sauce, melt the butter over a medium-high heat, add the crushed garlic and sauté for about a minute – don’t let the garlic brown or it will be bitter!
4. Add the flour and stir to combine – it will from a paste. Now slowly start adding the milk, bit-by-bit. Keep stirring the sauce so that no lumps form, until you have added all of the milk. Let the sauce thicken for a few minutes but don’t stop stirring! You will then need to add the grated cheese and mix through until melted. Add the Pesto Princess Red Pesto and parsley to the sauce and mix well.
5. Once the sauce is ready, pour it over the pasta and stir through – add your chorizo too. If the sauce is too thick, you can add a dash of hot water to loosen it up a bit.

Feeds 4

Recipe and food styling by Michelle Parkin.

Michael Olivier’s Choice

Landskroon Cinsaut

A Cinsaut would be ideal for this dish, especially if you chilled it for about 30 minutes before service. Landskroon, the de Villiers family estate in Paarl, has offered a particularly fine example of this variety for a long time.

It looks like: Almost translucent with garnet ruby at the core that pales towards the edge of the glass.

It smells like: Though a dry wine, there are whiffs of fresh sweet cherries.

It tastes like: A medium-bodied wine with soft tannins. Lovely fruit, cherries and roadside brambles. Great as a glass on its own. Chill it slightly for further enjoyment with this macaroni and cheese with red pesto and chorizo.

www.michaelolivier.co.za