Greek Macaroni and Cheese

Peter is always an inspiration for authentic Greek food, and I finally got around to making his Greek Macaroni and Cheese for a precious lady friend of mine. As usual I tweaked the recipe a bit, but a big thanks to Peter for the inspiration. I served this with jalapeño and Cheddar scones for an especially cheesy meal. Soon it will be time to go vegan for a few days to cleanse myself of all of these rich dinners! Spring can't come soon enough.

Greek Macaroni and Cheese

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from Kalofagas Cuisine: Greek Published on March 30, 2010 This easy-to-prepare Greek-style macaroni cheese is loaded with Kalamata olives and fresh Gruyère and Feta cheeses — absolutely heavenly Print this recipe Ingredients: 4 cups (1 lb or 450 g) dried penne or macaroni 3 generous handfuls fresh spinach 1 cup fresh grated Gruyère cheese 1 1/4 cup Feta cheese, crumbled 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 small onion, grated 2 small cloves garlic, crushed or minced 12 oz (350 mL) can evaporated milk or 2 cups heavy cream 1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste 1/2 to 2/3 cup cornmeal or breadcrumbs Instructions: Grease a 8 × 11 casserole dish with butter. Bring a large pot of water to a boil with some sea salt and cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente, just tender. Add the spinach to the pot and cook for another few minutes. Drain and set aside. In another large pot, melt the butter over medium heat and then add the grated onion and garlic. Stir and fry for 5 minutes. Add the flour to the pan and stir and fry for another few minutes. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups of the evaporated milk or cream, and bring to a slow boil over medium-high heat. Continue to whisk constantly until the mixture is creamy and thickens. Stir in the Gruyère cheese. Turn the heat off, and add 1 cup of the Feta cheese along with the olives, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine. Toss in the cooked pasta and spinach, along with a bit of olive oil, stir and transfer to the prepared casserole dish. Add the remaining evaporated milk or cream to the casserole dish and top with the cornmeal or breadcrumbs and the remaining Feta cheese. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until nicely browned on top. Makes 6 to 8 servings

More pasta recipes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen you will be sure to enjoy:
Macaroni and Paneer Cheese
Vegetarian Mushroom Bourguignon
Pasta and Feta Cheese Casserole
Rye Pasta with a Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce and Goat Cheese

On the top of the reading stack: The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy

Audio Accompaniment: Vantage Isle Sessions by Deepchord