3slicesthin white breadlike Pepperidge Farm thin white, lightly toasted and buttered
1ripe barlett pearcored and diced {leave peel on for color and texture}
3oz.walnutschopped
salt & pepper
1/4tspground nutmeg
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and stir. Cover pot and turn off burner. Let pot sit on burner while preparing sauce.
Melt butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in flour to form a roux. Slowly incorporate milk, about 1/2 cup at a time, cooking and stirring until sauce is thickened. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove from heat. Stir in cheeses. Return to burner on low to melt if necessary.
Drain pasta and turn into a greased shallow baking dish. Pour sauce over pasta and gently push pasta down and around in sauce to coat and distribute.
Cut bread into small cubes and toss with diced pear and chopped walnuts in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle evenly over top of pasta. Cover and refrigerate if desired.
Bake pasta covered at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes more. If pasta is cold, increase baking time 15-30 minutes or until pasta is hot and bubbly. Serves 6-8.
To reheat, drizzle pasta with a little milk or cream and bake covered at 325 until heated through
Notes
*use a pasta with a lot of surface variations to hold the creamy sauce**use more if you want extra bleu cheese flavor or substitute 2 oz. of preferred cheese
Keyword bleu cheese pasta, mac & cheese, pasta casserole, pear walnut croutons