Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, stir in the flour, and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot milk gradually, stirring all the while, until the sauce thickens. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, add the salt and pepper and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring often.
2.
Stir in the cheese and cayenne pepper. When the cheese melts, remove the sauce from the heat and set aside while you prepare the pasta and topping.
3.
Set the oven at 300 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or another dish with a 3 1/2 quart capaciy. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
4.
Meanwhile, toss the bread crumbs and oil together. Spread the crumbs on a rimmed baking sheet and toast them in the oven for 30 minutes, turning several times. Set them aside.
5.
Add the salt and penne to the boiling water and stir once or twice until the water comes back to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until the penne is tender but sill has some bite. Drain the pasta and transfer it to the baking dish, layering it with half the cheese. Add the cheese sauce and stir gently. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top, them scatter the bread crumbs over the cheese.
6.
Bake the macaroni and cheese for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the sauce is bubbling at the edges. Serve.
... an excerpt of:
"The Way We Cook" (Houghton Mifflin)
click on the cover to see it at Amazon.com
