A hot jalapeño macaroni and cheese recipe

Ingredients for four guests:

* 1 lb. Rotini or fusilli pasta package

Cheese Sauce
* 4 tablespoons butter
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
* 3 cups of milk
* 1 lb. grated sharp cheddar cheese
* 6 jalapeño chilies, seeded and sliced lengthwise in thin strips
* One onion, chopped
* one sprig fresh cilantro

Salsa Roja (the red sauce)
* 2 large ripe red tomatoes seeds discarded
* 3 sprigs cilantro, finely chopped
* 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice or lime juice
* 1 large clove garlic, crushed

Procedure:

Step 1: Preparing the ingredients and making the white sauce

1) Finely chop the cilantro and reserve. Preheat oven to 350 °F; bring to a boil a large pot of salted water. Drop the pasta in boiling water and boil only 7 to 8 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until not quite al dente. Drain, but do not rinse and reserve. Lightly grease a casserole of 3 liters.

2) Now, melt the butter over medium heat in a medium sized saucepan. Stir in flour and mustard. Do not let the flour brown. Add milk gradually, whisking constantly. Continue to stir gently over medium heat about 6 minutes, until the white sauce thickens.

Step 2: melt the cheese, and mix the ingredients

3) Reduce heat setting to medium-low, add 75% of the grated cheddar cheese, half the cilantro, the jalapeños in strips and chopped onion. Stir everything until the cheese is completely melted. Taste and add pepper to taste.

Step 3: Preparing the baking pan and ... bake!

4) Pour the jalapeño and cheese sauce over the pasta and mix thoroughly but gently. Then place the mixture into the pan, greased beforehand. Sprinkle the top with the remaining grated cheese. (If the dish is prepared in advance, the pan can be refrigerated unbaked up to 1 day, at this stage. Bake in center position of preheated oven 40 to 45 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling.

Step 5: Making the salsa

5) Chop the tomatoes, mix the tomatoes with the remaining cilantro in a medium-sized bowl, with the vinegar. Press in the garlic and seasoning; pour in a saucepan and cook this sauce to reduce it by about 33%.

6) Remove the pasta from the oven. Preparing each individual plates, pour some macaroni and cheese over each plate then pour a few tablespoons of the tomato salsa over the macaroni and then some on the plate itself.

Alternative way: using the microwave oven

1) Cook the pasta in the recipe as above. Meanwhile, in a microwave dish good for 3 liters (12 cups), heat butter over high intensity 1 minute, uncovered, or until it has melted. Stir in flour and mustard, whisking until smooth. Then add milk, whisking still. Cook in the oven, high intensity, 2 to 4 minutes, uncovered, whisking at every minute.

2) Stir in cheese, jalapeños onions and cilantro. Return to oven and cook 1 minute, uncovered, or until cheese is completely melted. Pour the drained pasta in the hot cheese sauce. Place in oven for 1 to 2 minutes at high intensity, uncovered, until mixture boils. 3) Make the salsa as mentioned on step 6 above...

Serve your macaroni and cheese with jalapeños!