Grilled Flatbread with Asparagus Pesto and Fontina

Ingredients

• 1 pound grilled asparagus
• 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, plus chopped for garnish
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 3/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup, plus 4 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano
• 1 pound fontina cheese, thinly sliced
• 1 large prepared pizza shell (recommended: Boboli)

Directions

Heat grill to high

Combine the asparagus, basil, garlic and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse a few times to coarsely chop. With the motor running, slowly add the oil and process until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper and transfer the pesto to a bowl. Stir in the Pecorino Romano.

Place pizza shell on the grill. Grill until slightly crisp, about 1 minute. Remove the shells and spread each with the pesto. Top with the fontina, return to the grill, close the cover and continue cooking until the cheese has melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the grill and sprinkle with the remaining Romano cheese and chopped fresh basil. Slice each flatbread into bite-sized pieces.

SOURCE

Flatbread

Grilled French Bread Pizza with Mushroom Pesto and Fontina Cheese

Ingredients

• 1-ounce dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 pound cremini or white button mushrooms, stems removed
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Whole head roasted garlic, pulp removed
• 1/4 cup toasted walnuts
• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• 1 loaf French bread, about 24 inches long, sliced in 1/2 lengthwise
• 2 1/2 cups grated fontina cheese

Directions

Place the porcini mushrooms in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit until softened, 30 minutes.

Heat the grill to high.

Brush the cremini or white button mushroom caps with the canola oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the mushrooms on the grill, cap side down and grill until golden brown and slightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the caps over and continue grilling until the mushrooms are cooked through, about 5 minutes longer. Remove from the grill, let cool slightly then coarsely chop.

Remove the porcinis from the soaking liquid and place in the bowl of a food processor with a few tablespoons of the soaking liquid. Add cremini mushrooms, garlic pulp, walnuts, parsley and thyme in a food processor and process until finely chopped. With the motor running, slowly add 1/2 cup of the olive oil and process until smooth. Add 1/4 cup of the Romano cheese and pulse a few times to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper.

Brush the bread on the cut side with the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Evenly spread the pesto over the cut side of each half of bread. Top the pesto with the fontina cheese, return to the grill, cheese side up, close the cover of the grill and cook until the cheese has melted, about 2 minutes. Remove from the grill and sprinkle with the remaining Romano.

SOURCE

French Bread

Bobby Flay's Macaroni and Cheese Carbonara

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter, for the baking dish
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 (1-inch-thick) slice pancetta, cut into small dice
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 5 cups whole milk, or more if needed, hot
• 4 large egg yolks, lightly whisked
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 cups (8 ounces) grated Asiago cheese, plus more for the top
• 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated Irish white cheddar, plus more for the top
• 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated American cheddar, such as Goot Essa Mountain Valley, plus more for the top
• 1 cup (4 ounces) grated aged fontina cheese, plus more for the top
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for the top
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked just under al dente
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 10 by 10 by 2-inch baking dish and set it aside.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.

Add the garlic to the fat in the pan and cook until light golden brown, 1 minute. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the hot milk, raise the heat to high, and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the eggs until incorporated and let cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the thyme, cayenne, and all the different cheeses until completely melted. Season with salt and pepper. If the mixture appears too thick, add additional warm milk, 1/4 cup at a time.

Put the cooked macaroni in a large bowl, add the cheese sauce, reserved pancetta, and the parsley, and stir until combined. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.

Combine an additional 1/4 cup each of Asiago, cheddars, fontina, and Parmesan in a bowl, and sprinkle evenly over the top. Bake until the dish is heated through and the top is a light golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for

10 minutes before serving.

SOURCE

Parmesan Carbonara