Pastas and Grains
20121016-macaroni-and-cheese-variations-bacon-pimento.jpg

[Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]

About the author: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is the Chief Creative Officer of Serious Eats where he likes to explore the science of home cooking in his weekly column The Food Lab. You can follow him at @thefoodlab on Twitter, or at The Food Lab on Facebook.

Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 pound slab bacon, rind removed, cut into 1/2-inch lardons
  • 1 (4 ounce) can chopped pimentos, drained
  • 1/2 pound elbow macaroni
  • 6 ounces block American cheese, roughly grated or diced
  • 6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, roughly grated or diced
  • 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley leaves

Procedures

  1. Combine cornstarch, evaporated milk, and eggs in a medium bowl and whisk until homogenous. Set aside.

  2. Place bacon in a large skillet and add 1/2 cup water. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until water has evaporated and bacon starts sizzling. Continue cook, stirring frequently, until crisp and brown, about 5 minutes longer. transfer to a bowl along with all of its rendered fat. Add chopped pimentos to bowl and toss to combine. Set aside.

  3. Cook pasta in a large stock pot in salted water according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking water. Return to stock pot and add cooking water, bacon (with its fat), pimentos, evaporated milk mixture, and cheese. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until cheese is melted and pasta is creamy and smooth. Stir in parsley, reserving some for garnish. Transfer to serving bowl, top with remaining parsley, and serve immediately, topping with a fried egg if desired.