Macarrones a la Crema (Macaroni with Cream)
This creamy and cheesy macarrones a la crema (macaroni and cream) is the perfect side dish for Christmas. It comes together easily and will be a big hit with the kids.
- 4 large Roma tomatoes (400g)
- 1 3/4 cup uncooked macaroni (250g)
- 1 large white onions
- yerbas de olor see note
Cheese Sauce
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, divided (100g)
- 1 large white onion. finely chopped
- 3/4 cup diced cooked ham (100g)
- 1/2 cup Mexican crema (1/8 L)
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese (100g)
Garnish
- 2 red bell peppers
- 1 cooked egg yolk, grated
Preheat overn to 350°F.
Roast tomatoes on a comal until they are charred and begin to soften or in the airfryer at 385F for 6 minutes. Puree the tomatoes and set aside.
Cook the macaroni in two liters of boiling water with one onion, fragrant herbs (bay leaf, marjoram, rosemary, thyme), salt and pepper. When cooked, rinse and drain well.
Making the Sauce:
Heat half of the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat and cook onion until tender, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the ham and cook until it begins to brown 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in the pureed tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce slightly thickens and becomes a deep red color. Add the parsley and cream, stir to incorporate it. Remove from the heat and add the cheese.
Assembly
In a round, buttered baking dish put a layer of macaroni, another of the cheese sauce and the remaining butter cut into cubes, and so on till you run out of ingredients. Bake for 15 minutes or until the top browns.
Garnish
To serve, use strips of bell pepper to form a poinsettia flower on top and in the center place the egg yolk passed through a fine sieve, and over the egg yolk, arrange the cooked peas.
Yerbas de Olor refers to a fragrant herb mix, such as bay leaf, marjoram, rosemary, and thyme.
The original recipe doesn't state what to do with the cheddar cheese, but refers to the sauce as the shredded cheese sauce. So I decided to incorporate it into the sauce.