If your M&C is mushy, you’re doing it wrong, overcooking the pasta most likely.
I usually make a four cheese variant that calls for tossing the pasta in the cheese sauce cooked, then simmering it for 3-4 minutes and finally baking it. Instead, I leave the sauce a bit more runny, and bake it like that.
I also tend to fancy it up a little: four types of grated cheese goes in the sauce proper - cheddar, mozzarella, pecorino romano and Parmigianino reggiano, followed by a good amount of homemade truffle oil (pretty simple, you buy some truffles, slice em thin on a mandolin, then drop it in a glass bottle, and cover with olive oil. If you want faster extraction and slightly toasted flavour, you can heat the oil to around 120-150C and pour it like that, let it sit for 24 hours and good to go, otherwise leave in a dark, cold place for 3-4 weeks for full intensity).
Once cooked, the four cheeses are followed by some more: gorgonzola, blue cheese, and fine grated Port Salud (freeze it and use the grater side, not the shredder). Crumble and mix those in right before you bake it.
And if you want a proper crunchy bite, get some mini croutons! Mix them into the sauce and finish off the whole thing by topping it with the croutons as well.
And for absolute fancy… See if you can find a place that sells Jamon Iberico. Not just the whole ham but locally processed pre-sliced packages too - they tend to have lots of leftover lard-ons they’ll gladly sell, fry those up on LOW LOW heat until golden and just dump the oil and the lardons right on top of your dish.
At the beginning of your comment I was practically begging you to add some nicely crisped bacon pieces, but you went one step further with the lardons. It sounds delicious.
I fully agree. There needs to be some non-mashy component, maybe something cross or with a bit of a bite.
If your M&C is mushy, you’re doing it wrong, overcooking the pasta most likely.
I usually make a four cheese variant that calls for tossing the pasta in the cheese sauce cooked, then simmering it for 3-4 minutes and finally baking it. Instead, I leave the sauce a bit more runny, and bake it like that.
I also tend to fancy it up a little: four types of grated cheese goes in the sauce proper - cheddar, mozzarella, pecorino romano and Parmigianino reggiano, followed by a good amount of homemade truffle oil (pretty simple, you buy some truffles, slice em thin on a mandolin, then drop it in a glass bottle, and cover with olive oil. If you want faster extraction and slightly toasted flavour, you can heat the oil to around 120-150C and pour it like that, let it sit for 24 hours and good to go, otherwise leave in a dark, cold place for 3-4 weeks for full intensity).
Once cooked, the four cheeses are followed by some more: gorgonzola, blue cheese, and fine grated Port Salud (freeze it and use the grater side, not the shredder). Crumble and mix those in right before you bake it.
And if you want a proper crunchy bite, get some mini croutons! Mix them into the sauce and finish off the whole thing by topping it with the croutons as well.
And for absolute fancy… See if you can find a place that sells Jamon Iberico. Not just the whole ham but locally processed pre-sliced packages too - they tend to have lots of leftover lard-ons they’ll gladly sell, fry those up on LOW LOW heat until golden and just dump the oil and the lardons right on top of your dish.
Guaranteed flavour orgasm.
At the beginning of your comment I was practically begging you to add some nicely crisped bacon pieces, but you went one step further with the lardons. It sounds delicious.
I used to get it out of a tin and microwave it on top of sliced white bread at uni, so there’s that.
O
M
G