Greek Mac And Cheese

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 3 slices crustless whole wheat bread, torn into small pieces
• 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• kosher salt, to taste
• 8 ounces hollow pasta (penne or elbow macaroni)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 3 cups milk
• 4 cups grated graviera cheese (about 12 oz.-you may sub romano or pecorino cheese ) or 4 cups kefalotyri cheese (about 12 oz.-you may sub romano or pecorino cheese )
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 large shallots, finely chopped (or 4 small red onions)
• 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper (or orange or green)
• 16 ounces baby spinach, roughly chopped
• 8 scallions, cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds
• 1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh dill
• 1 3/4 cups crumbled feta (about 8 oz.)

Recipe

• 1 put bread into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground. put bread crumbs and 3 tablespoons butter into a small bowl and combine; set aside.
• 2 bring a 6 quart pot of salted water to a boil. add pasta and cook until cooked halfway through, about 3 minutes. drain pasta, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
• 3 heat the remaining butter in a 4 quart saucepan over medium heat. add flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. still whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in milk and cook until sauce has thickened and coats the back of a spoon, 10 to 15 minutes. remove pan from the heat. stir in cheese, cinnamon, and nutmeg and season with salt and pepper; set bechamel sauce aside.
• 4 heat oven to 350°. heat oil in a 5-qt. pot over medium heat. add shallots and bell peppers and cook, stirring often, until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. add spinach and scallions and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 3 minutes. stir in the reserved bechamel sauce, the dill, and the reserved pasta and move the mixture to a 9" x 13" baking dish. sprinkle evenly with reserved bread crumbs and the feta.
• 5 bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes. let cool for 10 minutes before serving.