CAST-IRON MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat broiler. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (covered to speed things up). Heat a large cast-iron skillet (8 to 10 inches across, and 2 inches or more deep) over low heat.
• 2. When the water boils, add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Set a timer, since you'll be distracted by the next steps.
• Use a thick potholder with that skillet! Cast iron gets very, very hot. After burning my hand one too many times, I learned to pull a small dishtowel through the hole in the skillet's handle. It serves as a good visual reminder-just be sure it's kept well away from the flame. One of my mom-testers offered another bit of advice: Always use two (potholdered) hands when picking up a cast-iron pan. Otherwise, you might casually try to grab it with your free, bare, hand. Ow.
• 3. While the pasta cooks, make the cheese sauce: Put the butter into the now very-hot skillet. It should melt, foam, and begin to brown almost immediately. Pour in the milk, then add the mustard, paprika, and salt, and whisk together.
• 4. Set aside 1/2 cup of the grated cheese for topping the final dish. Begin to add the rest of the cheese to the skillet, one handful at a time, whisking between each addition. When it has all melted, sift the flour over the skillet, one tablespoon at a time, whisking after each spoonful. Stop adding the flour when the sauce is almost as thick as housepaint.
• Easiest way to sift small amounts of flour: Use a regular old strainer.
• 5. Continue to cook the sauce, whisking constantly, until pasta is cooked. Drain the pasta well and add to the skillet, then remove from the heat.
• 6. Stir pasta and cheese sauce together until fully combined, then sprinkle the top with the reserved grated cheese. Broil until top is browned and bubbly, 4 to 6 minutes. Cool for a few minutes before serving.
• VARIATIONS
• • Go southwestern by adding a strained 10-ounce can of diced tomatoes and green chiles (such as Ro-Tel) or a generous cup of your favorite salsa, drained. Use Cheddar and Jack cheeses in the sauce. • Smoke it up by frying 2 diced strips of bacon in the skillet before adding the milk. Skip the butter completely. • Add 8 ounces frozen vegetables (your choice) to the pasta pot about 5 minutes before pasta is done. Since the water will take a little time to come back up to a boil, increase the cooking time by a minute or two. • Don't laugh, but a couple of diced hot dogs, cooked in the butter then removed until you stir it back in with the cooked pasta, makes for a surprisingly delicious twist. Use organic, kosher, or even tofu pups. • Make it secretly healthy by stirring a 10-ounce package of frozen butternut squash puree, defrosted, into the cheese sauce just before adding the pasta.