Sausage and Leek Mac & Cheese with Asiago and Parmesan

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It’s no secret that I’m totally into cheese. Just take a peak into my fridge on any given day and you’ll find no less than 10 kinds of cheese in my cheese drawer. I just love it. And you know what my #1 favorite thing to with cheese, besides nachos of course!? Macaroni and Cheese!! I mean how can you say no to a bowl full of pasta loaded with cheese and other goodies? It’s tough to pass that up.

Lately I’ve been making this Sausage and Leek Mac & Cheese with Asiago and Parmesan. It’s a bit lighter than regular mac and cheese recipes since it doesn’t have a bechamel or creamy sauce… but it’s just as good, if not better. I whipped this recipe up for the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and I’m excited to finally share it with you guys!

Sausage and Leek Mac & Cheese with Asiago and Parmesan

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound sweet Italian chicken sausage casings removed
  • 4 leeks white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, rinsed and sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
  • 2/3 cup white wine
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • Kosher salt and pepper
  • 1 pound orecchiette pasta
  • 1 cup 4 ounces Wisconsin Parmesan, finely shredded
  • 1 cup 4 ounces Wisconsin Asiago, finely shredded
  • 1/2 cup reserved pasta water

Instructions
 

  • In a large skillet, sauté the sausages over medium-high, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add chopped leeks to sausage in skillet and cook until softened, about 5 more minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring frequently and scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan, until mostly evaporated. Stir in butter and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water. Drain pasta, return to pot, add sausage mixture, and toss to combine, adding reserved pasta water as needed to thicken sauce. Toss in the shredded Parmesan and Asiago. Adjust salt and pepper as needed and serve.

19 Comments

  1. I’d really love to make this, but I’m not seeing your recipe over on the Milk Marketing Board website. Is it called something different?

  2. When you say white wine, what do you suggest? I know nothing about wine — don’t drink it and normally don’t cook with it. But I have to try this recipe. Thanks!

  3. Made this tonight and it was delicous!! I live in the Caribbean, so I could not get orcchettie, but used medium shells and they seemed to do the trick! Yum!

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