Sauce Bechamel
4 ½ Tbsp. butter
4 ½ Tbsp. flour
½ onion, chopped very fine
3 ¾ cups hot milk
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tiny bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp salt
Heat the butter until bubbly. Add onion and cook over very low heat for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 more minutes. Take pan off the heat and pour in hot milk all at once. Stir briskly with a whisk. Put back on low heat and stir until the sauce comes to a boil. Add the herbs and cook slowly for 10 or 15 more minutes.
Macaroni and Cheese Casserole
1 recipe Bechamel Sauce
12 oz. penne pasta
4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
¾ pound Fontina cheese, coarsely grated
Salt, and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup dry breadcrumbs
Grate cheeses, combine them, and set aside. Butter a 2.5 – 3 quart baking dish. Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook pasta in salted water until just al dente and drain it well.
Melt the cheeses in the hot Bechamel Sauce. Add the cooked pasta and stir to combine. It will be very soupy at this point.
Pour the macaroni and cheese mixture into the prepared baking dish. Grate on plenty of black pepper. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top.
Bake at 350°F or 15-20 minutes, until browned and bubbly. Serve at once.
Note: original recipe calls for 16 ounces pasta, but I like it with more sauce. The sauce is absorbed by the pasta as it bakes, and even more so as it cools.