Quick Tomato Macaroni And Cheese

I am undecided about this recipe.  It is a pretty fast way to make something from scratch.  I did bake it ahead of time, and reheated it.  I don't know if this compromised the quality any.  I made it even though we didn't eat it for dinner because the tomatoes needed to be used or they would go bad.  We had house guests and I didn't want to make them guinea pigs.  We had two family favorites, fish tacos and bahn mi, which pleased my husband to no end:) I think will keep the recipe but play with it.

Quick Tomato Macaroni And Cheese

12    oz macaroni
7 oz bread,preferably stale, for making breadcrumbs
1 3/4 lb super ripe tomatoes
1 ea of garlic,peeled
2    large handfuls of fresh basil
2 oz sun-dried tomatoes,chopped
2    anchovies
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3    handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 pt single cream (half and half)
 1 T  red wine vinegar
1/2    a nutmeg,grated
14    oz cow’s milk mozzarella broken up
A handful of fresh thyme leaves picked (1/4 c)
Extra virgin olive oil
[Note: Yield : Serves 4  I think this is the best macaroni and
cheese recipe ever! This is a dish I make for the whole family, one
that we all love to eat. I  ]
Preheat your oven to 200C/400F/gas 6. Get a pan of salted boiling water
going and cook your macaroni according to the packet instructions.
Meanwhile, break your bread up, place it in the food processor and
whizz up to form breadcrumbs. Set aside. Wash your tomatoes and place
them in the food processor with the garlic, basil, sun-dried tomatoes,
anchovies and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Whizz up for 30 seconds.
Then add 2 handfuls of the Parmesan, the cream (half and half), vinegar
and grated nutmeg. Whizz until smooth and season carefully to taste so
its really yummy!
By this time your macaroni will probably be cooked, so drain it in a
colander, saving some of the cooking water. Place the pasta back into
the pan and pour over every last bit of the cheesy sauce. You want it
to be quite loose because youll be surprised how quickly the sauce will
disappear inside the macaroni and will look dry. So add a few spoonfuls
of the reserved cooking water. Now you need to get yourself a baking
dish about 810 cm/3 or 4-inches deep  this could be an earthenware dish
or even a shallow ovenproof pan. Pour the pasta straight into your
baking dish and break the mozzarella into little pieces over the top.
Mix the last handful of Parmesan with the thyme leaves and breadcrumbs
and sprinkle evenly over the top of the dish. Drizzle generously with
good extra virgin olive oil  this will give you a lovely crunchy
topping.
Place in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until piping hot and
golden on top. Serve straight away, sprinkled with a little extra
Parmesan. Best eaten with a nice salad  and youll love it.