Cook the pasta to al dente in plenty of well salted water, drain and set aside.
Meanwhile melt the butter in a pan and add the flour. Whisk to combine, and cook for a minute or so, stirring constantly.
Add the half and half and whisk to combine, continuing to heat until the mixture is thickened. Note: you won't quite bring it to a boil, but almost.
Set aside about a cup of the cheese to use as a topping later. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the remaining cheese, stir until all of the cheese is incorporated and the sauce is smooth. This can take a few minutes, keep stirring until the sauce is silky. If you like you can put the pan back on the still warm stove (but don't turn on the heat.)
Mix the macaroni with the sauce, and now heat everything through over medium heat. Ladle into a baking dish or individual dishes.
Sprinkle with the reserved cheese on top and put under the broiler until the cheese is browned. This will happens very quickly, don't walk away!
Notes
*This recipe first aired in 2013. It was updated and rephotographed in 2024.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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