On a recent visit to Italy, Chef Melissa Kelly discovered Orecchiette con Fonduta, a macaroni and cheese she describes as decadent, luxurious, and delizioso! She added her version to the menu of her Maine restaurant, Primo, and loves to serve it when the first spring garlic and ramps (wild leeks) start popping up in the woods and perfuming the air with their wonderful scent. This is Mac and Cheese all grown-up.
½ pound fontina cheese, preferably Italian, rind removed, cut into ¼-inch cubes
2 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons butter, plus extra for the pan
1 loaf Italian or French bread, torn into large pieces
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
5 egg yolks
Freshly grated nutmeg
Freshly ground white pepper
Drizzle of white truffle oil (see Sources)
1 pound orecchiette
2 shallots, minced (about ¼ cup)
4 ounces morels, thinly sliced
8 ramps (see Sources), greens separated from bulbs, both parts cut into chiffonade (thin ribbons). (If ramps are not available, you may substitute scallions, for a somewhat different flavor.)
Summer truffles, optional
Place the cheese in a large heat-resistant glass bowl and cover with the milk. Refrigerate, covered, for 1 hour (or up to 4); the milk will soak into the cheese.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9 by 13-inch pan.
In a food processor, grind the bread into coarse crumbs. Place in a bowl and toss with the olive oil, garlic, and salt and black pepper to taste. Spread on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until crisp and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Reserve.
To make the fonduta, place a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. Place the bowl of cheese and milk over the pot of boiling water, making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl, and add the egg yolks to the bowl, whisking constantly until the cheese has melted. Season with nutmeg, white pepper, and truffle oil to taste, remove the bowl from the water, and set aside. (This can also be done in a double boiler. In that case, bring another large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat for cooking the pasta.)
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes.
While the pasta is cooking, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; when it begins to foam, add the shallots, morels, and ramp bulbs. Season with salt and black pepper and cook, stirring, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
When the pasta is done, drain and add it to the pan with the sautéed vegetables. Add the ramp tops and the fonduta, combine well, and adjust the seasoning. Pour into the prepared pan, top with the bread crumbs, and bake until the mixture bubbles and turns golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Before serving, shave the truffles over the top (as many as you dare).