Baked Penne with Farmhouse Cheddar and Leeks

Ingredients

• 0.3 cup all purpose flour 
• 0.3 cup butter ()
• 4 cups cheddar cheese extra-sharp packed grated
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard 
• 2 large eggs 
• 5 cups leeks white green chopped ( and pale parts only; 5 large)
• 1 pound penne pasta 
• 1 teaspoon pepper sauce hot
• 3.5 cups milk whole

Equipment

• bowl
• sauce pan
• oven
• whisk
• pot
• baking pan

Directions

1. Lightly butter 15x10x2-inch baking dish.Melt 1/4 cup butter in heavy large saucepanover medium heat.
2. Add leeks; stir to coat.Cover saucepan and cook until leeks aretender, stirring occasionally, about 12minutes (do not brown). Uncover saucepan;add flour. Stir 2 minutes.
3. Add milk; bringto simmer, stirring often.
4. Add cheese,mustard, and pepper sauce. Stir untilcheese melts.
5. Remove from heat. Seasoncheese sauce to taste with salt.
6. Whisk eggs in medium bowl. Graduallywhisk in 1 cup cheese sauce. Stir eggmixture into cheese sauce in saucepan.
7. Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot ofboiling salted water until just tender butstill firm to bite, stirring occasionally.
8. Drain.Return to pot.
9. Stir cheese sauce into pasta in pot.
10. Transfer to prepared baking dish. do ahead
11. Can be made 2 hours ahead.
12. Let stand atroom temperature.
13. Preheat oven to 400°F.
14. Bake pastauntil cheese sauce is bubbling aroundedges and some ends of pasta are goldenbrown, 25 to 30 minutes.
15. Let stand 15 minutes.
16. Serve hot.
17. Unlike classic macand cheese, which is thickened by a roux(a flour and butter mixture), this one useseggs to make a rich, gooey custard. But becareful when adding the hot cheese sauceto the eggs; you’ll need to whisk the saucein slowly so that the eggs don’t curdle.