3128. HATCH CHILE and BACON MACARONI and CHEESE

yields 3-4 generous servings


8 oz pasta
4 oz white American cheese, shredded
4 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3 slices of bacon, cooked to a crisp
4-5 roasted hatch chiles, chopped (with skins, seeds, and stems removed)
black pepper
salt

Bring salted water to boil and add pasta, cooking according to package directions. While the water is coming to a boil and the pasta is cooking, shred the cheese, chop your chiles, and measure out the yogurt. Before draining the pasta, dip a 1-cup measuring cup into the pot and pull out a full cup of the boiling pasta water. This is important. If you think you'll forget, put your measuring cup in the strainer when you put it in the sink. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Immediately add 1/2 cup of the pasta water, the yogurt and 1/3 of the cheese, stirring until the cheese has mostly melted. Add the remaining cheese in two batches, stirring until the cheese has melted into a smooth sauce. Add additional splashes of water as necessary to keep the sauce thin and the cheese hot. Add the chiles, bacon, and black pepper, stirring until evenly distributed. Serve immediately.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Jason and Shawnda, Confections of a Foodie Bride, August 15, 2013