The inspiration to invent this dish was my original home town, Swansea, South Wales. Before World War Two, there was a huge influx of Italian immigrants into the area (and no, I'm not old enough to have been around to witness it!) Luckily for us natives, they didn't just bring their luggage with them, they brought their wonderful knowledge of Italian cuisine too. They also brought their Gelati and although I'm not a fan of ice cream, even I can't pass up the opportunity to visit Joe's Ice Cream Parlour whenever I'm in town. (I kid you not, it really is something special!)
Obviously the macaroni in this recipe is in honour of our Italian friends, but I thought it should be married with something truly Welsh, hence the rarebit. Contrary to popular belief, Welsh rarebit is not just cheese on toast. It's a delectable blend of cheese, mustard, worcester sauce, cayenne pepper and either milk or beer which, when bubbling and golden brown aboard a slice of fresh crusty toast, is truly snacktastic! Although the toast is omitted here, and I've used cider instead of beer, I think this really works. It's certainly become a firm favourite with my family and I hope it will with yours too. This recipe serves 2, but can easily be doubled or tripled as required
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INGREDIENTS
200g Macaroni:
200g Strong Cheddar, grated:
1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard:
125ml Dry cider [I use Strongbow, and don't worry if you're making this for children, because most of the alcohol burns off during cooking]:
A nice chunk of pepperoni, cubed small. (If you can only get the pre-sliced stuff that Supermarkets see intent on thrusting upon us, this will have to do, but you'll need to cut it into smaller bits. Pepperoni emits a lovely flavour into the sauce, but if you want a veggie option, omit this and sprinkle in some cayenne instead, but don't use too much, it kicks like an angry mule).
METHOD
1] Preheat oven to 190 degrees/gas mark 5, whilst cooking macaroni to packet instructions.
2] Lightly oil an ovenproof dish.
3] When the pasta is almost done, put cheese in a different (large) pan and melt gradually, stirring all the time as mustard and cider is added - this should have a sauce-like consistency, but if it's too thin, add more cheese, or too thick, add a little more cider.
4] Mix in the macaroni and pepperoni or cayenne, then transfer to the oiled dish and cook in the oven until golden brown on top. (Around 15-20 mins).
Buon appetito, fy ffrindiau!
MR T. Rating - 9/10
KIDS Rating - 10/10. "YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM!"
