Grilled Chicken & Creamy Tzatziki Bowl
Dustin Valette’s Mac N’ Cheese
Clover was fortunate enough to spend an afternoon with Dustin Valette of Valette in Healdsburg, California and Emily Martin of @JetSettingFashionista. Dustin Valette honed his craft in some of the most celebrated restaurants on the West Coast, including the Michelin-starred Aqua in San Francisco and Napa Valley’s Bouchon and we are excited to share his Mac N’ Cheese recipe. Emily Martin has been a supporter of Dustin Valette’s since he opened in 2015.
This is one of Dustin’s family’s favorite dishes we make at home! Everyone loves Mac n’ Cheese, though with this recipe its super easy and can be done both for the kiddos and for the adults. The recipe is simple, though elegant and can be modified as you see fit.
Ingredients
- 6 cups – Fresh Pasta, Macaroni, Bucatini, etc. dried pasta is fine too
- 1 pint – Clover Organic Cream
- 12 ounces – Clover Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated
- 8 ounces – Journeyman Bacon (or local good bacon), Sliced and Rendered
- 1 cup – Cherry Tomatoes Roasted in the oven for 15 minutes
- 5-10 grams – Fresh Black Truffles, when in season
- Chile Threads or Ground Esplette Pepper
- Kosher Salt
- Fresh Pepper
Directions
1
Start with Salted Boiling water and cook your pasta until Al Dente. If you’re using fresh pasta about 3 minutes, if dried, about 10-12 minutes.
2
As the pasta is cooking, start reducing the cream in a medium size sauce pot; make sure the cream doesn’t overflow the pot. Once the cream has reduced by half add the shredded cheddar cheese and stir together.
3
Once the cheese has melted combine the pasta and toss with the cheese sauce. Adjust with salt and fresh pepper to taste.
4
For the kiddos, this is where I serve them, though for the adults, I like to garnish with the roasted cherry tomatoes, crispy bacon and then shave truffles!
