Name: Alpine Macaroni (Älplermagronen)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Swiss
Ingredients: 100 g dry-cured smoked bacon, cut into lardons or strips; 2 onions, sliced into rings; 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced; 500 ml whole milk; 200 ml double cream; 3 tsp mountain herb salt, or fine sea salt mixed with dried alpine herbs; 400 g waxy potatoes, cut into 1cm cubes; 250 g macaroni, short tubular pasta or Swiss Magronen; 100 g mature alpine cheese, coarsely grated, such as Gruyère or Appenzeller; 1 pinch mountain herb salt, to taste; apple compote or apple sauce, chilled, traditional accompaniment

Alpine Macaroni (Älplermagronen)

Creamy Swiss macaroni cooked with potatoes and finished with melted mountain cheese and crisp bacon and onions. A hearty supper in 35 minutes.

Prep

10 mins

Cook

25 mins

Total

35 mins

Serves

Difficulty

Easy

Calories

771 per serving

Method

Heat a dry non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the bacon, onions and garlic and fry until golden-brown and crisp. Remove from the heat and set aside.
In a wide, heavy-based saucepan, combine the milk, cream and 3 teaspoons of herb salt. Bring gently to a simmer. Add the potatoes and macaroni, then bring to the boil. Immediately reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and cook for around 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to stop the pasta catching on the bottom. Cook until the pasta and potatoes are al dente and the liquid has reduced to a creamy, rich sauce.
10 mins
Take the pan off the heat. Fold in the grated cheese until melted and creamy, then season to taste with a little extra herb salt if needed. Spoon into warmed bowls and scatter the warm bacon and onion mixture over the top. Serve immediately, with chilled apple sauce if you like.

Serving suggestions

Spoon into warmed bowls and scatter the warm bacon and onion mixture over the top. Serve immediately, traditionally with a spoonful of chilled apple sauce or apple compote on the side.

Cook’s tips

Stir occasionally while the pasta cooks so it does not catch on the bottom of the pan. If you have no mountain herb salt, use fine sea salt mixed with dried alpine herbs. Gruyère, Appenzeller or a herb-crusted mountain cheese all work well.