Mac & cheese is honestly one of my top 5 favorite things of all time. My favorite version involves pancetta and lots of extra sharp cheddar cheese. But come summer, that version is a bit heavy for my tastes. So to brighten it up in the spirit of the tremendous heat wave we’re having up here in Ithaca, I’ve made a few changes. It’s still creamy and rich, but my summer version has fresh picked peas to add color and sweetness, a squeeze of lemon for extra zing, and goat cheese for its exceptionally smooth tanginess. These flavors are all complemented by pork that has been spiced with toasted fennel, cumin, and coriander. As an added bonus, this summery mac & cheese is a “one-pot” meal!

Ingredients:

Pork

• 1 lb. ground pork
• 1 tsp toasted fennel seeds
• 1 tsp toasted cumin seeds
• 1 tsp toasted coriander seeds
• 1 tsp red chili flakes
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 tsp salt

Vegetables

• 8 oz. baby bella or other good mushrooms
• 1 cup sweet peas, blanched

Pasta

• 2 cups elbow macaroni
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp AP flour
• 1 ¼ cup Milk
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• Juice of ¼ lemon
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp Romano cheese + more for topping, shredded
• 8 oz. goat cheese
• Panko bread crumbs

I made this dish in my trusty and oven-safe Dutch oven. I definitely recommend purchasing one of these in the enameled cast-iron. They are incredibly useful and versatile, and they allow you to save time on dishes when you make one-pot meals! While the famous La Creuset versions can be dauntingly expensive, I would suggest checking out TJ Maxx or Marshall’s as they have discounts or even alternative brands (that perform exactly the same) for much cheaper.

You can boil the pasta at any point during this recipe. I’d recommend putting your pot of water to boil right around the same time that you begin cooking. Remember to heavily salt the water and then reserve about a coffee cup full of the starchy water when you drain the pasta.

Preheat the oven to 400. Start by making the pork. Heat the Dutch oven over medium high heat with a little bit of oil (you might need more if you are using especially lean pork). To the hot oil, add the pork, fennel, cumin, coriander, chili flakes, Italian seasoning, and black pepper. This combination of spices is similar to those used in Italian Sausage (but by making the pork yourself, you avoid the inevitable high fructose corn syrup that pervades almost all sausages at the grocery store).  Once the pork is browned add the tsp of salt. Mix and use a slotted spoon to set aside.

For the mushrooms, simply fry them in the fat that was rendered from the pork. Add a little salt and pepper to taste and set aside with the blanched peas.

The mushrooms would have absorbed most of the fat in the pan, so add the butter at this point. Reduce the heat to medium. When the butter is all melted, add the 2 tsp of garlic. Fry until fragrant, and then add the flour to form a roux. Cook the roux for about 5 minutes, allowing it to brown just slightly. Add the milk, whisking to combine. Allow to come to a boil, and then start whisking in the Romano and the 2 tsp of pepper. Add the lemon juice, salt to taste, reduce heat to low, and cover.

At this point, we are ready to put everything together. Add the pasta, sausage, mushrooms, and peas into the sauce in the Dutch oven (keep the heat on medium low). Also add the coffee cup full of pasta water (this will thin the sauce a bit, and it will help keep the pasta moist when it goes in the oven).

Next, add the goat cheese in small pieces, stirring to incorporate. Top the whole dish with a layer of shredded Romano cheese and then a layer of panko. Bake in the oven uncovered until the bread crumbs brown, about 15 minutes. Enjoy fresh out of the oven!