The Cheese Cave Macaroni & Cheese

1. Grate all Cheeses - keep separate

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

3. In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.

4. While the pasta is cooking, in a separate small sauce pot, bring milk to a boil, stirring occasionally. Mix the cornstarch and dry mustard to form a slurry. Add in the cornstarch slurry, whisking constantly, until the mixture returns to a boil. The mixture will thicken. Turn off the heat. You now have a béchamel sauce. 

5. Add the cheeses gradually, starting with the Asiago, followed by the Gruyere, then the Provolone, Goda and Cheddar whisking until melted and incorporated. Once all the cheese has been incorporated, fold in mascarpone. Add freshly grated nutmeg.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 

6. Add sauce to the cooked pasta and toss to coat. Place in an oven-proof dish, top with  breadcrumbs, parmigiana reggiano and bake 25 minutes, or until bubbling hot. 

7. Remove from oven when the topping has browned and you see things looking very oozy and bubbly.

Wine Pairing- for this recipe we have chosen to pair our 2012 Opportunity Collection Pinot Noir. This elegant wine has notes of red cherry on the palate with subtle tannins. The sharp aspects of the cheddar and asiago (combined with  the crispy crust) brought forward some of the fruitier components of the wine, and the Pinot's acidity handles the creamy, rich sauce with ease.