What to do with half a jar of sun-dried tomatoes, a lonely shallot, and some leftover panko crumbs? Add pasta and cheddar cheese. This dish was diabolically delicious--creamy, crumbly, salty, flavorful. There's no way else to describe it, except to say it is the ultimate comfort food, which basically means you should make it once in a year, if you know what I mean.
1 box cavatappi
6 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, but patted dry
1 shallot
1 garlic clove
1 cup panko flakes
1 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
salt to taste
Directions
1. Boil cavatappi, according to box directions; Preheat oven to 400.
2. Add shallot to a food processor and pulse until diced. Without removing the shallot, add garlic clove, pulse until diced. Add sun-dried tomatoes, pulse. Finally, add panko flakes to a food processor, pulse until all ingredients are combined. You should have a breadcrumb mixture seasoned with the key ingredients. Set aside until pasta is done.
3. When pasta is done, strain and then add it back to hot pan. Immediately add cheese, milk, and stir. Add salt to taste.
4. Add creamy pasta to baking casserole dish. Cover pasta with panko mixture and sprinkle with cheese.
5. Bake until top is golden brown (about 8-12 minutes).
Serves four with leftovers
