A Lighter Mac-n-Cheese

Looks great in the bowl
Originally uploaded by galaxygoo1

After the Maker Faire, I was feeling even more adventurous in the kitchen than usual. I improvised on this dish, based on what ingredients I had on hand, and it turned out very tasty.

First, I cut down the chicken and tossed it in a simple marinade of olive oil, garlic, balsamic vinegar, dry basil, oregano, salt, and fresh ground pepper.

Once that started marinating, I got the pancetta in a pan with a little olive oil and began prepping the rest of the ingredients (onion, zucchini, roasted red peppers, ...).

At this point, I sort of veered a little off my usual path. When the pancetta came out of the pan, I quickly seared the chicken in the oil, and then set the seared chicken aside.

Into the oil, I added the red onions. Once a little translucent, I added the zucchini and peppers, just long enough to soften them a little. These all came out of the pan.

Next, I made a very light roux by adding a tablespoon of butter and a little flour. After stirring this for a while, and letting it darken just a bit, I added a glass of white wine and a can of tomato sauce.

Then the chicken and veggies went back into the pan. At this point, I added cheese (fontina, monterey jack, and paressean) a little at a time. I'd and a few pinches of cheese, stir until it all melts in, and then add a little more cheese. In all, I added about 1-1/2 cups of cheese.

By now, the pasta is done cooking and is ready to join the sauce. A few minutes later it's on the table. It was a hit with everyone!

How did it taste? Sort of a cross between mac-n-cheese and a really good tomato soup. It was seriously tasty!